NATO, Key EU Nations Scramble Jets to Guard Poland as Trump Pushes Tariffs on China to Choke Russia’s Lifeline
NATO has scrambled fighters over Poland and pledged tighter defenses on its eastern flank after Moscow sent 19 drones into allied airspace last week--the most serious breach since the Ukraine war began.
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| Typhoons will join allies and fly air defence missions over Poland. Via: UK Ministry of Defence |
“Putin tested NATO, NATO responded with unity,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey, calling Russia’s actions “reckless, dangerous, and unprecedented.”
Poland knows Russia can’t be trusted, so when Russia does “exercises,” Poland warms up like it’s game day. pic.twitter.com/BhqyYIK7fA
— Victoria (@victoriaslog) September 10, 2025
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the violation marked “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two.”
In a separate incident, Romania scrambled F-16s to track a Russian drone that crossed its airspace on Saturday. NATO invoked Article 4 at Warsaw’s request, with consultations on September 10 resulting in the largest reinforcement of Europe’s skies since 2022.
‼️🇵🇱🤝🇺🇲🇨🇦🇪🇺 NATO troops have been granted permission to be stationed on Polish territory - Karol Nawrocki signed the resolution.
— Visioner (@visionergeo) September 14, 2025
The president's order is related to NATO's operation "Eastern Guardian," which started after Russian drone attacks on Poland.
NATO troops have… pic.twitter.com/GPznAnq0Z0
The show of unity came as U.S. President Donald Trump pressed allies to strike Russia’s finances through trade. In a letter posted on Truth Social, he urged NATO and EU states to impose tariffs of 50–100 percent on China, arguing that Beijing’s oil purchases were keeping Russia’s economy afloat.
“The halt on Russian energy purchases, combined with heavy tariffs on China, would be of great help in ending the conflict,” Trump wrote.
Look how far some of the drones penetrated into Poland.
— Joni Askola (@joni_askola) September 10, 2025
This should serve as the final wake-up call for Europe pic.twitter.com/OIne5GTvox
China imported 109 million tonnes of Russian crude last year—nearly a fifth of its total oil needs—while India bought 88 million tonnes. Washington has already levied 50 percent duties on Indian shipments, but Trump has reserved his sharpest demands for Europe to act against Beijing.
The EU’s dependence complicates the picture: trade with China hit €732 billion in 2024, with imports of consumer electronics, machinery, and clothing deeply woven into supply chains. Officials fear sudden tariffs at U.S. levels could drive up production costs and consumer prices across the bloc.
pic.twitter.com/0L314xdMHF
— Shaun Pinner (@olddog100ua) September 15, 2025
Poland isn’t messing around🙏
With NATO hardening its air defenses and Washington pressing Europe to weaponize trade, the battlefield now stretches beyond Ukraine’s frontlines into the airspace over Poland and the supply chains of Brussels and Beijing.
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