Donald Trump breaks silence with 5-word warning after Russian jets violate NATO airspace

Tensions between Russia and NATO escalated further after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace on Friday. The aircraft remained inside Estonia’s territory for nearly 12 minutes before being intercepted, making this the third airspace violation in just over a week.

Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsakhna, condemned the move as “unprecedentedly brazen”, noting that Russia had already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year. He urged for stronger political and economic measures, stressing that Moscow’s “testing of boundaries” cannot go unanswered.

Following the incursion, Estonia summoned Russia’s senior diplomat in Tallinn. Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reaffirmed solidarity with Estonia, saying the UK stands firm with its NATO ally and highlighting the need to maintain pressure on Vladimir Putin through tougher sanctions.

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, described the incident as a “dangerous provocation” and warned that Russia is deliberately testing the West’s resolve.

US President Donald Trump also responded, telling reporters: “I don’t love it. I don’t like when that happens. It could be big trouble.” He added that he would be briefed further before making a detailed statement.

This violation follows a series of recent escalations: Russian drones entered Polish and Romanian airspace earlier this month, prompting Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk to warn that his country is facing its highest risk of open conflict since World War II. In response, the UK pledged additional RAF jets to support Poland’s air defense.

Military officials in Estonia clarified that the Russian jets flew parallel to the border from east to west and did not move toward Tallinn, but the message behind the incursion is seen as deeply provocative.

With growing military activity along NATO’s eastern flank, experts warn that these repeated violations could trigger broader instability in the Baltic region, testing how far the West is willing to go in defending its allies.