Vladimir Putin’s fighter jets violated NATO airspace Friday, testing Donald Trump as his administration faces mounting pressure over Ukraine and Moscow escalates provocations along the alliance’s eastern border.
Three Russian MiG-31 aircraft crossed into Estonian airspace and remained for roughly 12 minutes before leaving. It marked at least the third attempt by the Kremlin this month to test the military alliance’s eastern flank, Politico reported.
Three Italian F-35s were deployed to repel the Russian fighter jets.
The incident comes as Trump, who said on the campaign trail before the 2024 election that he’d end the Ukraine war on “Day One” of his presidency, faces growing scrutiny over his handling of the conflict, which began in February 2022.
Last week, he suggested that Russian drones entering Polish airspace might have been a “mistake.” And on Thursday, he told reporters that President Vladimir Putin had “really let me down” by refusing to pursue peace talks despite Trump’s repeated calls for negotiations.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Kaja Kallas, vice president of the European Commission, called the airspace maneuver “an extremely dangerous provocation.” Estonia’s foreign ministry said the violation was “brazen” and said it had summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires “to lodge a protest.”
“Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brutal,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.
“Russia’s ever-increasing testing of borders and aggression must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure.”
Trump has so far failed in his attempts to bring an end to the war, and as it drags on, officials are growing increasingly wary about the conflict spilling into NATO territory.
According to CNN, intelligence officials are divided on whether Putin intentionally ordered drones into Polish airspace last week to test the West’s response or if it really “could have been a mistake,” as Trump said.
Poland has repeatedly scrambled fighter jets during the war to safeguard its airspace amid large-scale Russian strikes on Ukraine. Warsaw said missiles fired at western Ukraine crossed into its territory several times, while Moscow insisted the incursions were accidental.
A senior U.S. military official in the region told the network there was a “50-50” chance Russia intentionally violated NATO airspace.
Any Russian attack on a NATO member would activate Article 5 of the alliance charter, which requires all members to respond collectively to a strike as one.
Trump has urged European allies to sharply increase defense spending as NATO members warn of mounting security risks. In March, the European Commission outlined plans to release about $939 billion for defense.
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