Waltz warns Putin: Trump's NATO shoot-down stance is 'not messing around'

WASHINGTON — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Wednesday that President Donald Trump's call for NATO to shoot down Russian aircraft in NATO airspace is not a bluff, telling Fox News he expects Putin to take the message seriously. "Putin, the Russians, should take the message from the president [seriously]. He's not messing around," Waltz said on Fox & Friends. He added that "The Iranians learned painfully that he will use sticks as well as carrots... We just brought that message [to] the Russian president just yesterday."

Waltz anchored the warning to reported Russian airspace incursions in Estonia, Romania and Poland, saying Trump has framed the issue as common sense and a reason to show strength. The former Florida Republican congressman, now U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, described the position as something the administration will adjust if needed to bring the war to an end. When asked whether Trump is considering lifting restrictions on weapons sent to Ukraine, Waltz said that decision rests with the president, the defense secretary and the secretary of state, who will determine the best path to end the conflict.

Trump raised the issue during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York ahead of a U.N. General Assembly session. The two leaders were asked about NATO shoot-downs when the president was asked, and Trump replied, "Yes, I do." Zelenskyy told Fox News that he was positive about signals from Trump and the United States that Kyiv would have support to the end of the war.

Waltz's remarks come as Trump has pushed for negotiations to end the war and indicated a willingness to shift policy as needed. The former congressman said the broader effort is to end the conflict, and Zelenskyy said he was encouraged by signals from Washington. Trump also suggested in a Truth Social post this week that Ukraine, with European and NATO backing, could regain all its territory. The White House has not publicly indicated a policy shift or new stance on weapons to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Waltz, who joined the United Nations post this year, has been involved in high-profile diplomacy as Russia's aggression remains unsettled. The comments illustrate ongoing transatlantic concern about Russian airspace violations and the potential for escalation, even as Washington seeks to push Kyiv and Moscow toward talks rather than confrontation.