US President Donald Trump declared that Kyiv could “win all of Ukraine back in its original form,” signalling a dramatic departure from his earlier stance on the war with Russia.
Writing on his Truth Social account after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Tuesday, Trump said Kyiv could restore “the original borders from where this war started” with support from Nato and European partners, as Russia faces mounting economic strain.
Although Trump has long said he wants the war to end, he had previously indicated that Ukraine might need to relinquish territory—something Zelenskyy has always dismissed.
Trump added Ukraine could “maybe even go further than that,” without elaborating. He also avoided mentioning Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, while noting his new outlook came “after getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia military and economic situation,” reports BBC.
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” he wrote, describing Russia as a “paper tiger.”
Zelenskyy welcomed what he called a “big shift” and told reporters inside the UN that Washington seemed ready to offer security guarantees “after the war is finished.”
He acknowledged there were no firm details yet, but suggested it could involve extra weapons, drones, and air defences. Speaking on Fox News later, he said Trump’s comments surprised him but were a “positive signal” that the US “will be with us to the end of the war.”
He added, “I think the fact that Putin was lying to President Trump so many times also made a difference between us.”
Earlier the same day, Trump told reporters Nato states should down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace, after incidents in Estonia, Poland, and Romania. Nato afterwards condemned Russia’s “pattern of increasingly irresponsible” actions and warned it would use “all necessary military and non-military tools” in defence.
Secretary General Mark Rutte said, “We are a defensive alliance, yes, but we are not naive, so we see what is happening.” Poland’s president Karol Nawrocki also vowed to “defend its territory” and “react adequately,” saying Central and Eastern Europeans would not be intimidated by drones.
Moscow rejected claims it violated Estonia’s skies, said its flight over Poland was accidental, and declined to address Romania’s accusations.
Asked if Washington would back Nato allies shooting down Russian jets, Trump replied it “depends on the circumstance,” though he praised the alliance for its commitment to raise defence budgets to 5% of their countries’ economic output by 2035.
Trump, who hours earlier criticised Nato members for still buying Russian energy, had until now insisted Ukraine was at a disadvantage. In February, he told Zelenskyy that Kyiv “did not have the cards right now” in a grinding war. Before his August summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump had suggested Ukraine might need to concede Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for Russia freezing the front line.
Despite frequently threatening tougher actions, Trump has not followed through on punishing Moscow when it ignored deadlines. His unpredictability has long been a hallmark of his diplomacy, and this latest turn could be a bid to shake up peace talks that have stalled since his Alaska meeting with Putin.
Trump’s Truth Social post ended with an assurance that the US would keep selling arms to Nato, which could then pass them on to Ukraine. While not as sweeping a pledge as his predecessor made, it marked a larger commitment than Trump had offered in recent months
