ISTANBUL

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that statements by Western leaders about shooting down Russian aircraft are “reckless” and could have “dangerous consequences.”

“Statements about shooting down Russian planes are, at the very least, reckless, irresponsible, and, of course, dangerous in their consequences,” Peskov told a journalist in Moscow.

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump suggested NATO should shoot down Russian jets if they entered the airspace of alliance members during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York.

Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov earlier warned that such a move by NATO would “mean war.” He had claimed Western countries have not provided “tangible proof” of Russia’s involvement in alleged airspace violations.

“You know, there are many NATO aircraft that violate Russian airspace … it happens quite often … (but) they are not shot down,” Meshkov said, stressing that Moscow “categorically denies” the accusations.

Meanwhile, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also suggested Trump’s strong statements on Russia may sometimes be tactical. “To some extent, maybe he’s playing along with (other leaders),” Ushakov said, while underlining that Moscow also pays attention to “signals transmitted through closed channels.”

Russia has recently been accused of violating the airspace of Estonia, Romania, and Poland, claims it denies. NATO has stepped up surveillance in the region amid rising tensions linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine.