Rubio: U.S. won’t down Russian jets in NATO airspace

His remarks were cited by the U.S. State Department press service.

Rubio was asked whether the United States was prepared to down Russian aircraft over NATO countries amid recent violations of Estonian and Danish airspace by drones, as some European allies have signaled they intend to intercept such UAVs if incidents recur.

“Well, I don’t think anyone said about shooting down Russian jets unless they’re attacking,” the secretary said, speaking about the U.S. position.

He stressed that “NATO responds to these intrusions the way we respond to them all the time” — by intercepting drones.

“The United States is a partner in NATO...And I think yesterday at the United Nations, our new ambassador here, Mike Waltz, made very clear we will – we will work with our allies to defend every inch of NATO territory.  That commitment remains firm,” Rubio added.

• Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he is ready to impose tariffs on Russia if it does not agree to a deal to end the war against Ukraine. He also reiterated his criticism of European countries for continuing to buy Russian oil and gas.