President Donald Trump said Sunday the U.S. would defend Poland and the Baltic states if Russian aggression were to escalate, following a string of alleged airspace violations.
Asked by reporters on the White House lawn whether America would act if “Russia keeps accelerating,” Trump replied, “Yeah, I would. I would.”
He spoke shortly before departing for Arizona to attend the funeral of assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
Polish and allied aircraft were deployed early Saturday to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched airstrikes targeting western Ukraine near the border with Poland, armed forces of the NATO member country said.
Eastern-flank NATO members are on high alert after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones in its airspace earlier this month, and three Russian military jets violated Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes Friday.
“Yeah, we don’t like it,” Trump told reporters Sunday morning.
Russia denied the claim, saying its aircraft operated “in strict accordance with international rules.”
Romania also reported a Russian drone violation.
All three countries are NATO members, making them eligible to invoke Article 5, which requires collective military response if one ally is attacked.
Trump, who has criticized NATO over defense spending, has recently pressed the alliance to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, particularly targeting oil revenues. Earlier this month, Baltic lawmakers urged Congress to maintain U.S. funding for the Baltic Security Initiative amid reports of possible budget cuts.
The latest tensions come just weeks after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential path toward ending the war in Ukraine, even as Moscow has stepped up both its offensive in Ukraine and provocative maneuvers against NATO’s eastern flank.
Information from Reuters was used to compile this report.
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