Britain says NATO stands ready to act as Trump backs shooting down Russian planes

LONDON, Sept. 24, 2025 — Britain said it is prepared to act with its NATO partners after former President Donald Trump urged the alliance to shoot down Russian aircraft operating in NATO airspace. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, said, "Ukraine's security is our security, and all of us depend on upholding the UN Charter." She added that NATO stands firm after a series of provocative violations of airspace by Vladimir Putin's forces.

Asked during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in New York whether Russian planes in NATO airspace should be shot down, Trump said: "Yes I do." In a separate statement, NATO condemned the incursion by three MiG-31 jets on Friday, describing it as "part of a wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour." Russia's actions, NATO said, seek to undermine democracy, secure conflict and spread instability far beyond Europe’s borders. In a separate warning, the alliance said: "Russia should be in no doubt: NATO and allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions."

Separately, former prime minister Boris Johnson criticized the UK and its allies for not doing more to help Ukraine, saying the country lacks "the will and the leadership and the sense of urgency" to act. He argued that frozen Russian assets should be used to fund the war effort, that the UK should stop buying uranium from Russia, and that Rosneft and other Russian energy interests should be sanctioned, including secondary sanctions on those still purchasing hydrocarbons. Johnson’s remarks highlighted domestic doubts about the pace and scope of Western escalation in response to Moscow’s actions.

The tone from Washington shifted in parallel, with President Trump appearing to back a tougher posture on Ukraine. He suggested Kyiv can win back all territory it has lost and mocked Russia’s military capabilities, signaling a potential realignment in the wartime discourse as allied capitals weigh next steps. Still, senior officials emphasized that NATO will continue to rely on a combination of military and non-military tools to deter further Russian aggression and to defend member states.

The episodes underscore a broader debate within Western capitals about how aggressively to respond to Moscow’s airspace incursions and to sustain Western support for Ukraine. While the United States has signaled stronger rhetoric and potential actions, European governments continue to navigate the political and economic constraints of pursuing intensified sanctions and asset measures. In the UN Security Council, Cooper framed Ukraine’s struggle as inseparable from the collective security framework Europe and its partners have pledged to uphold, underscoring the alliance’s position that any violation of NATO airspace is a threat to international order.

As the international community watches, analysts say the coming days will be pivotal for NATO’s unity and for allied willingness to translate verbal commitments into concrete steps, including enhanced air defense measures, further sanctions, and the careful deployment of non-military tools designed to deter further incursions. The balance between deterrence and escalation remains a live question for policymakers seeking to sustain support for Ukraine while avoiding unintended consequences for global stability.