Trump says Ukraine can win back all land lost to ‘paper tiger’ Russia
The US leader’s comments represent a stunning turnaround from his previous call for Kyiv to concede territory to end the war
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the US leader’s call on Kyiv to make concessions to end the war.
Trump offered his position in a social media posting soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly gathering of world leaders.
Trump in part wrote: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”
Zelenskiy called the comments surprising and said it was a positive signal of US support until the end of the conflict.
The strengthened support from Trump, if it sticks, is a huge win for Zelensky, who has urged the American president to keep up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his brutal war.
However, the post did not include language about new US sanctions or tariffs targeting Russia’s energy sector, although Trump has discussed both, including with European leaders.