Trump: "Ukraine Can Recover Its Territory... Continued Arms Support for NATO"

"NATO Should Shoot Down Russian Aircraft That Violate Airspace"
U.S. Support "Depends on the Situation"

President Donald Trump of the United States stated that if a Russian aircraft violates the airspace of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member state, that NATO member should shoot it down.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (left), and Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On September 23 (local time), during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly high-level session in New York, President Trump was asked by reporters whether he believed NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace. He replied, "Yes."

Recently, there has been an increase in incidents of Russian drones and fighter jets violating the airspace of NATO member states such as Poland and Estonia. In response, NATO has held emergency consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty and has warned Russia of the possibility of invoking Article 5, which stipulates "assistance including military action by member states," thereby escalating tensions. However, when asked whether the United States would be willing to support a NATO member state that shoots down a Russian aircraft, President Trump said, "It depends on the situation." He added, "But we are very strong on NATO. When NATO member countries decided to increase their defense spending from 2% to 5%, that was a great show of unity."

Regarding any progress since his last meeting with President Zelensky, President Trump said, "The biggest progress is that the Russian economy is currently terrible," adding, "Their economy is collapsing, and Ukraine is doing a very good job of stopping this large army." He continued, "People said the war would be over in three or four days, but the war is still ongoing, and this does not make it look like Russia is succeeding."

After the meeting, President Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, "If you fully understand the military and economic situation of Ukraine and Russia, and if you have witnessed the economic damage this (war) has caused Russia, I believe Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight Russia, win, and reclaim its territory in its original form." He added, "With time, patience, and increased economic support from Europe, especially from NATO, it becomes a fully viable option for Ukraine to restore its original borders as they were at the start of the war."

Regarding Russia, which is at war with Ukraine, President Trump stated, "If Russia were truly a military powerhouse, it would not have taken even a week to win this war, yet it has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years. This does not make Russia look strong. In fact, it makes them look very much like a 'paper tiger.'"

President Trump also remarked that if the Russian people become aware that most of their national finances are being spent on the war in Ukraine, "Ukraine will not only be able to restore its territory to its original form, but perhaps even more." He continued, "President Putin and Russia are facing a serious economic crisis. Now is the time for Ukraine to take action," adding, "We will continue to supply weapons to NATO so that they can do whatever they need to do with them."