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By Sean Rayment
US President Donald Trump said Russian planes intruding into Nato airspace should be shot down, in a marked hardening of tone towards Moscow amid frustration over his stalled attempt to end the Ukraine war.
In remarks after a fiery speech to the United Nations in which he ridiculed Russia’s failure to defeat Ukraine, Trump said that direct US involvement in attacking Russian incursions would “depend on the circumstances.”
Before his meeting with President Zelensky, Trump was asked by a reporter: “Mr President, do you think that they should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?”
Trump replied: “Yes, I do.”
Later, the reporter followed up: “You said that you thought that [Nato allies] should shoot down the Russian aircraft. Would you back them up? Would the United States help them out in some way?”
Trump said: “Depends on the circumstance. But, you know, we’re very strong toward Nato. Nato has stepped up. You know, when they went from 2 per cent to 5 per cent, that was great unity. Trillions of dollars is being pumped in and they’re paying us for the weapons that we sent.”
Trump’s words raise the stakes for future incursions after Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said his country would “without discussion” shoot down flying objects if they violated Polish airspace.
The US president used his appearance at the UN in New York to refocus his approach to the conflict, calling Zelensky “a brave man” and posting later that he now believed Ukraine could win back all its territory with European support.
“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a war that should have taken a real military power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger’.”
Asked if he trusted President Putin, Trump said he would have an answer in “about a month”. He told reporters: “I thought [solving the war] was going to be the easiest one because of my relationship with Putin. Unfortunately, that relationship didn’t mean anything.”
Trump’s stance marks a sharp shift from February, when he chided Zelensky in the Oval Office, saying “you don’t have the cards” in a suggestion that Ukraine could not win the war.
Zelensky welcomed the change of tone, telling reporters at the UN on Tuesday: “Trump is a game-changer by himself.”He called Trump’s post a “big shift” and “very positive,” adding: “He is ready to give Ukraine security guarantees” after the war ends.
Appearing on Fox News the same night, Zelensky said he was “a little bit” surprised by Trump’s new attitude towards the war in Ukraine. “I think we have better relations than before. I see very positive signals that Trump and America will be with us to the end of the war.”
He warned European countries that Putin “feels” they cannot defend themselves after Russian planes and drones breached Polish, Estonian and Danish airspace. He said Europe lacked sufficient air defences and that Putin “wants to go to other territories.” Zelensky added that Putin was “afraid” to meet him for face-to-face talks, dismissing Moscow’s invitation as a way of “postponing” such a meeting.
Trump also met President Macron of France on Tuesday, confirming it was now his belief that Ukraine should regain all its land. “So it’s a very sad situation, but most of you have seen the recent statement I put out a little while ago, and I’m glad you got it, but I feel that way. I really do feel that way. Let them get their land back.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, Nato, the original borders from where this war started, is very much an option.”
Trump’s change of tack was floated in a speech that also warned Europe it was being destroyed by a “double-tailed monster” of immigration and clean energy. “Your countries are going to hell,” he declared.
Only a week after his unprecedented second state visit to the UK, the president singled out Britain, claiming London was heading towards Islamic law under its mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, and squandering the potential of North Sea oil. “I hope the prime minister is listening,” he said.
He also railed against countries recognising a Palestinian state this week — including Britain, France and Canada — calling it a “reward for Hamas terrorists … a reward for their horrible atrocities.”
Trump turned his 15-minute speaking slot at the UN General Assembly into an hour-long lecture for the 193 member delegations about the “ruin” he said was being caused by politically correct policies, urging them instead to learn from his America First approach.