Select Language:
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Ukraine has the potential to reclaim all territory occupied by Russia, emphasizing that Kyiv should act sooner rather than later, as Moscow faces significant economic hardship. This marks a notable and unexpected shift in tone favoring Ukraine. However, there is no indication that this rhetoric will lead to a shift in U.S. policy, such as the implementation of the harsher sanctions on Moscow that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested during his visit to New York this week.
“Putin and Russia are in serious economic trouble,” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after meeting Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. “This is the time for Ukraine to act.” He added, “Considering the economic difficulties the war is causing Russia, I believe Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is capable of fighting and reclaiming all of Ukraine in its original borders.” Achieving this would require Kyiv to oust Russian forces from roughly 20% of its territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which has been under Moscow’s control since 2014—a significant and surprising reversal of previous positions.
Trump has previously suggested that Ukraine might consider ceding some territory as a peace strategy, fueling fears in Kyiv that behind-the-scenes negotiations could lead to recognition of Russia’s occupation as legal. Europe’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, welcomed Trump’s comments, stating, “These are very strong statements we haven’t heard from him before, so it’s encouraging that we are beginning to see shared understanding.”
Unlike his welcoming of Russian President Vladimir Putin at last month’s Alaska summit, a visit that seemed aimed at accelerating the end of the war, Trump’s recent tone was markedly different. Zelensky described their meeting as “good and constructive” and praised Trump’s statement as a “big shift.” Later, Zelensky told Fox News that the Ukrainian and U.S. positions are now “closer than ever before,” indicating that he believes Trump’s stance has shifted.
The U.S. continues to criticize Russia, with Trump describing Russia’s military efforts as “aimless” and suggesting that a true military power would have defeated Ukraine within a week, making Russia look like a “paper tiger.” The only firm commitment from Trump on Truth Social was to “continue supplying weapons to NATO for them to decide how to use them,” likely referencing a new mechanism allowing European countries to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at hopes for a peaceful resolution, saying, “This war must end, but if it doesn’t, and no pathway to peace exists, the United States and President Trump will take necessary actions to impose costs on continued aggression.”
Zelensky has been urging the U.S. to escalate sanctions on Russia to pressure Moscow into negotiations to end the conflict, a message he reiterated at the UN. Earlier, Trump had stated he was prepared to impose strong economic measures if Russia continued its invasion but called for allies to do the same. He also criticized several European nations for still purchasing Russian oil.
During discussions, Zelensky mentioned they talked about Russia’s struggling economy and shared an understanding that Trump might be willing to offer security guarantees to Ukraine once the war concludes. Zelensky emphasized Trump’s ability to be a “game-changer” in Ukraine’s war efforts and noted that China still maintains influence over Russia, though Beijing has shown no signs of wanting the war to end.
Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy downplayed Trump’s recent remarks, advising not to overreact to every tweet. Former Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski described Trump’s comments as “a remarkable 180-degree turn” that may not last long, questioning what concrete actions Trump would take to help Ukraine succeed, implying that words alone are insufficient.
Add us on ChatGPT
Add us on Perplexity
