The latest remarks by US President Donald Trump underscore a sharp escalation in rhetoric over Russia’s continued military actions affecting Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank.
In an interview with Fox and Friends, Trump admitted that his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin was “running out fast,” framing the faltering progress on a resolution to the Ukraine conflict as a failure of coordination between Moscow and Kyiv.
He noted that efforts toward peace had broken down repeatedly, remarking that “when Putin wants to do it, Zelensky didn’t; when Zelensky wanted to do it, Putin didn’t,” and signalled that unless Russia altered its approach, Washington would be compelled to “come down very, very strong.” His remarks carry renewed weight given mounting frustration in Washington over the spill over risks posed by Russia’s intensified drone strikes near NATO borders.
Trump singled out Russian drone activity close to Poland as a particularly perilous development. While he acknowledged that the drones had been shot down, he condemned the violation of Polish airspace, stressing that Russian forces “shouldn’t be close to Poland anyway.”
A day earlier, outside the White House, he had voiced deep displeasure over the situation, remarking that while the incursion “could have been a mistake,” it was nonetheless unacceptable. Trump’s comments reflect a growing consensus in Washington that Russia’s expanding use of drones across NATO boundaries risks spiralling into a broader confrontation, especially if further violations occur.
