U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Ukraine is capable of reclaiming all its territory from Russia—a major shift from his previous stance, which opposed Kyiv’s refusal to cede any land to Moscow. Meanwhile, NATO issued a stern warning to Russia, declaring it would use "all necessary military and non-military tools" to defend itself, condemning Moscow’s violation of Estonian airspace as part of an "increasingly irresponsible pattern of behavior."
The warning followed Estonia’s announcement last Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes before being intercepted and escorted out by Italian NATO jets.
The week prior, around 20 Russian drones breached Polish airspace, prompting NATO fighters to shoot down several and leading the alliance to bolster defenses along Europe’s eastern flank.
Trump: Russia Is a "Paper Tiger"
President Trump voiced support for a strong NATO response to future incursions. When asked at the UN General Assembly whether NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace, he replied, “Yes, that’s what I believe.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Trump’s remarks as a “major shift” in his stance on Ukraine after Trump described Russia as a “paper tiger” and said both Russia and President Putin are facing severe economic challenges.
In a post on his Truth Social platform following his meeting with Zelensky, Trump wrote, “I believe Ukraine, with support from the European Union, is in a position to fight, win, and fully reclaim its territory—perhaps even go beyond that!”
? NATO’s Full Response
NATO’s statement came after the North Atlantic Council, composed of ambassadors from the alliance’s 32 member states, convened following Estonia’s invocation of Article 4 of the NATO treaty.
The council declared, “Russia bears full responsibility for these escalatory actions, which risk miscalculation, endanger lives, and must stop.”
It added, “Russia should be absolutely certain: NATO and its allies will use, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter threats from all directions.”
NATO emphasized it would respond in the manner, timing, and domain of its choosing.
These incidents have led some European politicians and analysts to call for shooting down manned Russian jets if they violate NATO airspace.
However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius cautioned against such proposals, saying, “Reckless calls to shoot something out of the sky or send a forceful message don’t help in this situation. We need calm, clarity, and wisdom—and to act proportionately.”
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, Secretary General Mark Rutte explained that the Russian jets over Estonia were not shot down because they weren’t deemed an immediate threat but affirmed that NATO leaders retain the authority to make final decisions if intruding aircraft are considered dangerous.
A Defensive but Vigilant Alliance
Article 4 of the NATO treaty states that allies “shall consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any of the parties is threatened.”
This marks only the ninth time in NATO’s 76-year history that Article 4 has been invoked—twice this month alone, in response to incidents in Poland and Estonia.