US President Donald Trump has stated that Kyiv can win all of Ukraine back in its original form, marking a major shift in his position on the war with Russia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he suggested Ukraine could reclaim the original borders from where this war started with backing from Europe and NATO, highlighting pressures on Russia's economy.
His comments followed talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which occurred after Trump addressed the UN General Assembly in New York.
Trump has frequently expressed his intention to end the war but had previously warned that doing so might require Ukraine to concede some territory, a proposition that Zelensky has consistently rejected.
In his post, Trump indicated that Ukraine could potentially even go further than that, though he did not clarify what he meant. Notably, Trump did not mention Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Trump claimed his change in stance was informed by a deeper understanding of the military and economic dynamics between Ukraine and Russia. He emphasized that Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.
Additionally, Trump advocated for NATO nations to shoot down Russian planes violating their airspace, in light of several recent incidents involving Russian military aircraft.
While Trump has articulated that the US's support for NATO maneuvering against Russian incursions should depend on the circumstances, he praised NATO for progressively increasing defense expenditures.
This latest articulation marks a significant departure from Trump's previous year-long assertion that Ukraine's situation was bleak, echoed during a heated exchange with Zelensky earlier this year about military capabilities and territorial control.
The shift in Trump's rhetoric may reflect an attempt to disrupt the stagnant peace negotiations and reinvigorate discussions surrounding Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Trump concluded his post with a commitment to continue US arms sales to NATO, a level of engagement that, while not as expansive as the Biden administration's, indicates a more robust U.S. involvement in Ukraine's defense.
