President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would defend Poland and the Baltic states should Russia intensify military actions, following a recent airspace violation over Estonia. His remarks come amid rising alarm in NATO and the European Union over what many see as provocative behavior from Moscow.
The incident that prompted Trump’s comments involved three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entering Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Friday. Estonia says the jets remained in its airspace without permission for around twelve minutes. Russia, however, has denied the accusation, claiming its aircraft flew over neutral waters while heading toward Kaliningrad.
Estonia has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and invoked NATO’s Article 4 to consult with allies. In response, NATO scrambled Italian F-35 fighters stationed in the Baltics, along with aircraft from Sweden and Finland, to intercept and warn off the Russian jets.
When asked whether he would support defending Poland and the Baltic states if Russia further escalates, Trump responded: “Yeah, I would. I would.” He also said he had been briefed on the Estonian incident, adding simply: “We don’t like it.”
Trump’s statement follows other recent border and airspace tensions. Earlier in September, some 19 Russian drones reportedly violated Polish airspace. That incident, which Poland said was deliberate, drew condemnation from various NATO members.
The U.S. State Department and NATO allies have affirmed the importance of defending the sovereignty of all member states. The commitment from Trump is likely intended to reassure Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania of continued U.S. support amid what’s perceived as an increasing pattern of Russian military provocations.
