U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that NATO must be ready to shoot down Russian aircraft if they breach allied airspace. His comments came during a joint appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

When asked directly whether NATO should fire on Russian planes entering member states’ skies, Trump responded: “Yes, I do.” He added, however, that the U.S. response in such situations would “depend on the circumstances,” stressing that Washington remains “very strong toward NATO.” Trump praised the Alliance’s increased defense spending, noting the move from 2% to 5% of GDP as a sign of “great unity.”

The remarks follow a series of airspace violations in Eastern Europe. On September 19, three armed Russian MiG-31 fighter jets penetrated Estonian airspace for twelve minutes, flying ten kilometers deep and approaching Tallinn before being intercepted. Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the incident as the fourth - and most serious - violation this year. He warned that “future violations will meet a response,” which could include downing intruding aircraft, calling the defense of Estonian skies inseparable from the defense of NATO’s borders. Estonia has already triggered Article 4 consultations with allies in response.

Earlier this month, Poland confirmed that its forces had shot down several Russian drones during a mass strike on Ukraine - the first known instance of a NATO member directly downing Russian assets over its own territory since the full-scale war began. Romania has also reported repeated drone incursions.

Despite the heightened tension, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that NATO has not considered routinely shooting down Russian jets unless they engage in attacks. He said that so far the standard response has been to intercept and escort intruders away, while maintaining the principle of defending “every inch of NATO territory.” Rubio emphasized that the ultimate goal is to avoid escalation while working toward an end to the conflict.

At the same UN gathering, Trump reiterated his longstanding criticism of Europe’s reliance on Russian energy. He argued that by continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, some NATO countries are “funding the war against themselves.” Trump warned that if Moscow refuses to negotiate peace, the U.S. is prepared to impose “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” on Russia, measures he said could end the bloodshed quickly if Europe joined in.

“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by purchasing Russian oil. But inexcusably, even NATO countries have not fully cut off Russian energy,” Trump said. He stressed that European states, given their proximity to the conflict, must immediately end all energy purchases from Moscow, otherwise “we are all wasting a lot of time.”

Trump’s push for unity contrasts with the position of some European governments, including Hungary, which has again stated that it will not abandon Russian energy supplies despite U.S. demands.