WASHINGTON, DC -- Three Russian fighter jets breached Estonian airspace today in what appears to be the third significant attempt by the Russian military this month -- following previous drone incursions into Poland and Romania -- to test NATO’s eastern border.

After this brazen provocation by the Russian military, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged President Donald Trump to strengthen security cooperation with NATO allies, provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs to repel Russian invaders, and impose severe sanctions on Russia to let Vladimir Putin know endangering U.S. and European interests will not be tolerated. Today, Senator Reed stated:

“It’s unclear why Donald Trump is so deferential to Vladimir Putin. But it’s painfully obviously that after Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin in Alaska, Russia became emboldened and continues to expand its aggression beyond Ukraine’s borders with virtually no pushback from the Trump Administration.

“Donald Trump should join America’s allies who are already levying tough economic penalties to counter Putin. There is broad bipartisan support for such actions. Instead, Trump’s feeble and feckless response has sent the wrong message to Putin and to U.S. allies, putting U.S. leadership, interests, and security at risk.

“President Trump must strongly condemn these Russian breaches of NATO airspace and work to restore deterrence. Trump has powerful cards to play, but continued inaction only strengthens Putin’s position. The American people deserve answers as to why President Trump is behaving so meekly and failing to deter the Kremlin. The cost of his continued apathy will almost certainly be a more aggressive Putin and a wider conflict.”