US warns Russia: We will defend every inch of NATO territory

2025-09-22 23:26:11Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
US warns Russia: We will defend every inch of NATO territory
Michael Waltz

Washington's new envoy to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, vowed that the US "will defend every inch of NATO territory."

He made this statement on September 22 at an emergency meeting regarding the incursion of Russian fighter jets into Estonian airspace.

NATO scrambled its jets after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace on Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, marking another dangerous provocation. Moscow has denied that its planes violated Estonian airspace.

Estonia, a NATO member, called the meeting at the UN Security Council "in response to the clear violation of Estonian airspace by Russia" and also requested talks with other NATO allies.

"As we said nine days ago, the United States stands with our NATO allies in light of these airspace violations. We want to take this moment to reiterate, to emphasize that the United States and allies will defend every inch of NATO territory," said US Ambassador to the UN, Michael Waltz.

The US ambassador to the UN said the US had warned Russia to "cease actions that could risk escalating into a wider conflict" after its drones violated Polish airspace nine days ago.

Despite this warning, he said, Russia "again violated the airspace of a NATO member."

And in perhaps the most significant passage of his speech, he says: "I want to take this first opportunity to reiterate and emphasize that the United States and our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory."

"Russia must urgently stop such dangerous behavior," he said.

"Once again, I call on Russia, as a permanent member of this council, to support international peace and security, to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors, to stop violating their airspace. And I call on Russia to negotiate directly with Ukraine to end that war," Waltz concluded.


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