President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. Common Meeting on September 23, 2025.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures North America
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures North America
President Trump on Tuesday shifted his place on whether or not Ukraine ought to maintain out for all of the territory seized by Russia, saying on social media that he thinks Ukraine is able to win all of it again.
It is a reversal from his long-held place that Kyiv would want to surrender a few of its territory to Moscow to finish the conflict – equivalent to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
However now, “after attending to know and totally perceive the Ukraine/Russia Army and Financial scenario,” Trump stated he believes Ukraine – backed by the European Union and NATO – can win again all its territory.
“Why not?” he stated in a publish after he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. Common Meeting, even suggesting that Ukraine might “possibly even go additional than that!”
The reversal is the most recent instance of how Trump has swung between deference, frustration and oblique threats towards Russia. Early in his second time period, Trump boasted that his shut relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin would assist him dealer a fast decision to the battle.
However because the conflict dragged on, Trump has grown more and more pissed off with Putin. In July, throughout a gathering with the NATO Secretary Common, Trump lashed out at Putin and introduced that he was sending Patriot air protection missiles to Ukraine.
As just lately as final month – when Trump met Putin in Alaska to attempt to dealer an finish to the conflict – Trump had stated he believed “some land-swapping” would happen. Zelenskyy has been resistant to that concept.
Afterward, Trump stated the 2 international locations wanted to debate “the potential exchanges of territory, making an allowance for the present line of contact. Which means, the conflict zone.”
However for the reason that Alaska talks, there have been no indicators that Putin is keen to satisfy Zelenskyy. Russia has ramped up its strikes on Ukraine, and there have been a sequence of incursions by Russian army plane into NATO airspace within the month for the reason that talks.
Trump stated he thinks NATO members ought to shoot down Russian plane in such circumstances. “Sure, I do,” he stated in reply to a query from a reporter.
Requested whether or not he would again up NATO allies if that occurred, Trump stated: “Will depend on the circumstance, however we’re very robust towards NATO.”
In his social media publish, Trump stated Russia seems to be like “a paper tiger” as a result of the conflict has dragged on for thus lengthy, and stated that the US would proceed to provide weapons to NATO. “Good luck to all!” Trump stated.
Trump has up to now resisted requires more durable sanctions, insisting that European leaders first have to cease shopping for oil from Russia, in addition to apply steep tariffs for main patrons of Russian oil, like China.
In a pointed speech to world leaders on the United Nations Common Meeting on Tuesday, Trump stated it was inexcusable that some NATO members had been nonetheless shopping for Russian vitality. “Consider it: they’re funding the conflict towards themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?”
Zelenskyy stated he hoped to see extra sanctions on Russia, and stated he supported Trump’s push to get NATO members to cease shopping for Russian vitality.
Zelenskyy stated he had spoken with Slovakia’s prime minister who appeared open to slicing off its imports. “I am undecided the Hungarians are prepared,” Zelenskyy stated. Trump stated he hasn’t spoken to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about it but. “I had a sense if I did, he would possibly cease,” Trump stated.
