President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. Basic 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 wish to surrender a few of its territory to Moscow to finish the warfare – similar to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
However now, “after getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation,” 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. Basic Meeting, even suggesting that Ukraine might “maybe even go further than that!”
The reversal is the newest 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 warfare dragged on, Trump has grown more and more annoyed with Putin. In July, throughout a gathering with the NATO Secretary Basic, Trump lashed out at Putin and introduced that he was sending Patriot air protection missiles to Ukraine.
As lately as final month – when Trump met Putin in Alaska to attempt to dealer an finish to the warfare – 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 possible exchanges of territory, taking into consideration the current line of contact. That means, the war 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 instances. “Yes, 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: “Depends on the circumstance, but you know we’re very strong toward NATO.”
In his social media publish, Trump stated Russia seems like “a paper tiger” as a result of the warfare has dragged on for thus lengthy, and stated that the USA would proceed to produce weapons to NATO. “Good luck to all!” Trump stated.
Trump has to date resisted requires more durable sanctions, insisting that European leaders first must 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 Basic Meeting on Tuesday, Trump stated it was inexcusable that some NATO members have been nonetheless shopping for Russian vitality. “Think of it: they’re funding the war against 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 chopping off its imports. “I’m not sure the Hungarians are ready,” Zelenskyy stated. Trump stated he hasn’t spoken to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about it but. “I had a feeling if I did, he might stop,” Trump stated.
