Former President Donald Trump made headlines on Tuesday by stating that Ukraine has the potential to reclaim its territory lost during Russia’s invasion. He went even further, asserting that NATO countries should take action against Russian planes intruding their airspace. This marks a noticeable shift in his approach to the ongoing war as it continues with full intensity.
During a discussion at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump clearly stated his position on the issue of NATO shooting down Russian flights. This was accompanied by a subsequent post he made on Truth Social, where he emphasized a more optimistic outlook on Ukraine’s ability to restore its borders—a significant departure from his previous comments suggesting Ukraine might need to concede some territory for a peace agreement. It indicates his readiness to support NATO’s potential military actions against Russia, beyond merely supplying arms to Ukraine.
Answering a question about the possibility of NATO downing Russian aircraft, Trump confidently replied, “Yes, I do,” during his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Later on Truth Social, Trump elaborated that, after gaining a deeper insight into the economic and military dynamics of both Ukraine and Russia, he believes that “with the help of the European Union, Ukraine is positioned to fight back and REGAIN all of its original territories.” He suggested the ongoing conflict is damaging Russia, likening it to a “paper tiger” in economic distress and outlined that regaining their original borders is very much achievable with sufficient time, patience, and international support.
Trump passionately stated, “Why not?” emphasizing that Ukraine could reclaim its land and possibly even expand further if they acted decisively. Even amidst this debate, CNN reached out to the White House for specifics on which borders Trump referred to in his remarks.
President Zelensky welcomed Trump’s views, calling it a “remarkable shift” and referred to him as a “gamechanger” during a news briefing. Zelensky mentioned that he and Trump had a detailed discussion about the current battle conditions, acknowledging that the former president seems to have acquired a more in-depth understanding than before, which he appreciates.
Uncertainty Around US Support
Despite Trump’s encouraging words about Ukraine’s military prospects with European support, there was no indication that the U.S. intends to bolster its involvement any further. CNN inquired about whether there were plans for escalated support for Ukraine.
Recent violations of airspace by Russian aircraft over nations like Poland and Estonia have sparked tensions, leading to direct encounters between NATO forces and Russian military, testing the alliance’s capability to deter Russia’s acts of aggression.
European leaders expressed their outrage and reinforced their resolve to respond robustly, yet NATO’s Secretary General remarked that decisions on downing Russian aircraft would depend on the thorough analysis of the actual threat posed.
In contrast to Trump’s bold assertions, his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, exhibited more caution, stating that the U.S. would not engage in shooting down Russian jets unless directly under attack, instead reaffirming the established practice of NATO intercepting such threats.
Recent weeks have featured numerous incidents where Russian aircraft have penetrated NATO airspace. Just last week, several Estonian airspace incursions by Russian military jets faced swift responses from NATO air forces.
In a somewhat alarming incident, two major Scandinavian airports, Oslo and Copenhagen, had to be shut down due to drone activities, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.
Operators in European nations are sharpening their defenses against Russian threats. While NATO claims it is adequately prepared for defense, the recent spike in Russian military incursions has left many pondering the levels of readiness across Europe and underscored Trump’s insistence on bolstered security measures.
This story has been revised to include further details.
Contributions for this article were provided by Jennifer Hansler at CNN.
