The President of the United States expressed his anger toward the Russian leader for refusing to sign peace with Ukraine
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President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly, that NATO member countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they violate Western airspace. When directly asked by a journalist whether he supported such a measure, Trump replied: "Yes, I do."
The statement came in the context of multiple recent incursions by Russian aircraft and drones into the airspace of NATO member countries, such as Poland, Romania, and Estonia.
In one of the most recent incidents, last Friday, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace and remained there for about 12 minutes before being intercepted by NATO forces. Moscow, meanwhile, denied violating international norms.
Tres aviones MiG-31, cruzaron la frontera con Estonia en la última semana
In early September, authorities in Poland and Romania also reported the entry of Russian drones into their territories. Poland replied by shooting down at least four of the nearly twenty drones detected in its airspace.
These three countries, all former members of the Soviet bloc, joined NATO after the fall of the USSR: Poland in 1999 and Estonia and Romania in 2004.
In light of the recent incidents, Trump made it clear that the U.S. response to possible aggression would depend "on the circumstances," although NATO contemplates in its Founding Treaty, through Article 5, the possibility that any member may invoke collective defense if attacked. To date, that article has only been activated once: after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.
Trump anunció que podría dar una respuesta contundente frente a las agresiones rusas
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, recently confirmed in the position, also issued a warning to Russian PresidentVladimir Putin.
In a session of the UN Security Council, Waltz stated that, while Trump and his administration are working intensively to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow is expected to seek ways to reduce tension instead of risking an expansion of the conflict.
Trump, meanwhile, highlighted Zelensky as "a brave man" who has shown great resilience in the face of Russian aggression. He stated that both leaders would have a private meeting that same day, as part of a day filled with high-level bilateral meetings.
The president also renewed his criticism of European countries, urging them to increase their contribution to collective defense spending within NATO. Despite these calls, some Baltic countries have requested additional financial assistance from the U.S. Congress to strengthen their security.
EL embajador estadounidense frente a la ONU también instó a Rusia a reducir las tensiones con Europa
In his speech before the General Assembly, Trump also outlined an economic strategy against Russia as part of efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, which has already lasted more than three years.
He stated that, if Moscow is not willing to negotiate a way out of the conflict, his administration is prepared to impose "a strong round of powerful tariffs," which could stop the bloodshed "very quickly."
Finally, the U.S. president strongly criticized Europe for continuing to buy Russian oil, a practice incompatible with international efforts to pressure the Kremlin. "Europe has to do its part. They can't keep doing what they're doing," Trump concluded, reinforcing his message that unity of action is key to ending the conflict.
El presidente estadounidense criticó duramente a Europa por continuar con sus compras de petróleo ruso
