US President Donald Trump has declared that Ukraine has the potential to “win all of Ukraine back in its original form,” signaling a major reversal in his approach to the war with Russia.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Ukraine could regain “the original borders from where this war started” with backing from Europe and Nato, pointing to pressures on Russia’s economy as an opportunity.
The comments followed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, held shortly after Trump addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Previously, Trump had suggested that ending the war would likely require Ukraine to cede some territory—an idea Zelensky has consistently rejected.
Trump added that Ukraine could “maybe even go further than that,” though he did not clarify what this entailed.
He made no mention of Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014, while the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Trump attributed his shift to “getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia military and economic situation,” calling Russia a “paper tiger” and noting that “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”
Zelensky described Trump’s change as a “big shift,” adding that he understood the US might offer Ukraine security guarantees “after the war is finished.” While details remain unclear, Zelensky suggested this could include additional weapons, air defences, and drones.
Speaking to Fox News, he said Trump’s Truth Social post was surprising but welcomed it as “a positive signal” that the US “will be with us to the end of the war,” noting that repeated lies from Putin may have influenced Trump’s view.
Earlier on Tuesday, following his UN speech, Trump urged Nato countries to shoot down Russian aircraft violating their airspace, in response to recent incidents involving Estonia, Poland, and Romania.
Nato condemned the violations, pledging to use “all necessary military and non-military tools” in defence, and highlighted Moscow’s “pattern of increasingly irresponsible” actions.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki emphasized the alliance’s readiness to defend its territory and warned against intimidation by Russian drones.
Trump added that US support for Nato would depend on circumstances but praised the alliance’s increased defence spending.
He also criticized some member states for continuing to buy Russian energy, saying they were “funding a war against themselves.”
The Truth Social post marks a clear shift for Trump, who has spent much of the year describing Ukraine’s position as precarious.
Earlier in February, he told Zelensky in the Oval Office that Ukraine “did not have the cards right now” to succeed against a larger nation.
Ahead of his August talks with Putin in Alaska, Trump suggested some territorial compromises might be necessary, a proposal linked to Russian ambitions in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Trump’s latest stance also hinted at continued US arms support to Nato for Ukraine, providing a less open-ended but still significant commitment compared to the Biden administration.
Analysts see this move as potentially aimed at reinvigorating stalled peace negotiations following Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska.
