Recently, there have been frequent incidents of Russian drones and fighter jets violating the airspace of NATO member countries. On the 23rd (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump stated that if Russian aircraft invade the airspace of NATO member countries, those countries should shoot them down.
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump was asked by reporters whether NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace. He responded, “Yes.”
Recently, incidents of Russian drones and fighter jets violating the airspace of NATO members such as Poland and Estonia have increased. In response, NATO has held urgent consultations under Article 4 and warned Russia of the possibility of invoking Article 5, which includes “aid, including military action, from member states.”
However, when asked if the United States would support NATO member states in shooting down Russian aircraft, President Trump said, “It depends on the situation.”
He added, “But we are very strong on NATO. It was a great solidarity when NATO member states decided to increase their defense budget from 2% to 5%.”
When asked if there had been any progress since last meeting with President Zelensky, Trump said, “The greatest progress is that the Russian economy is terrible now,” adding, “The economy is collapsing, and frankly, Ukraine is doing very well in stopping this large military.”
He also noted, “People said the war would be over in a few days, but it is still ongoing, and Russia does not seem to have succeeded.”
When asked if he still trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump replied, “I’ll let you know in about a month.”
After the meeting, President Trump posted on social media platform Truth Social, “If you fully understand the military and economic situation of Ukraine and Russia, and witness the economic damage it has caused Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union (EU), can fight against Russia and win back its territory in its original form.”
He continued, “With time and patience, and with European economic support and especially NATO support, restoring the original borders at the onset of the war becomes a quite possible option for Ukraine.”
Assuming that the Russian people find out that most of the national finances of Russia are being used for the war in Ukraine, he remarked, “Not only can Ukraine regain its territory in its original form, but who knows, perhaps even more might be possible.”
President Trump stated, “Putin and Russia are in a serious economic crisis, and now is the time for Ukraine to act,” adding, “We will continue to supply weapons to NATO so they can do what they want with them.”
(Photo = Yonhap News)