Trump encourages NATO countries to shoot down Russian aircraft that violate their airspace

President Donald Trump on Tuesday told reporters that he believes North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that violate their respective airspaces, after several countries reported Russian drones in their areas.

Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Poland have all reported Russian drone incursions in their airspaces this month. NATO helped shoot down the Russian drones that flew over Poland earlier this month.

Trump was asked about whether he felt that NATO countries should shoot down aircraft that enter their airspaces during an appearance at the United Nations in New York City. Trump responded, "yes, I do." 

The president also suggested Ukraine could win its war with Russia and said it would "depend on the circumstances" on whether the United States would support NATO shooting down aircraft. But he noted that the alliance has stepped up its defense spending recently.

“NATO stepped up, you know, when they went from 2% to 5%. That was great unity,” Trump said. “It’s a lot of weapons they’re buying, and they’re buying them from us. They’re buying them from the U.S.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.