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U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Ukraine is now in a position to reclaim all territory occupied by Russia — including Crimea — in a striking departure from his earlier stance urging Kyiv to consider territorial concessions in the name of peace.
Speaking shortly after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the former US President wrote on Truth Social: “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”
“After seeing the Economic trouble (the war) is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Reuters quoted him saying.
The statement, welcomed by Kyiv as a “big shift”, marks a significant rhetorical reversal. Until recently, Trump had publicly floated the idea of Ukraine ceding land to end the war — a position that drew sharp criticism from both Ukrainian officials and European allies.
Despite the shift in tone, there was no immediate sign of a change in US policy. President Zelenskiy, speaking to reporters after what he called a “good, constructive” meeting with Trump, said: “I think Trump's position has changed.” He told Fox News the two sides were now “closer than any time before”.
However, Trump stopped short of announcing any concrete actions. His only clear commitment was to continue supplying weapons to NATO for its own distribution, saying, “NATO can do what they want with them.” He also warned that stronger economic measures against Russia could be imposed if Moscow refused to end its invasion — but insisted European allies would need to follow suit.
Ukraine has repeatedly called on Washington to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow, with Zelenskiy again urging greater pressure during his UN address earlier in the week.
Europe’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, welcomed Trump’s remarks, saying: “These have been very strong statements that we haven’t heard before in such formats, so it is really good that we are in the same understanding now.”
Zelenskiy said Trump appeared open to offering security guarantees for Ukraine once the war ends, and noted both leaders discussed the weakening state of Russia’s economy. He described Trump as potentially a “game-changer” for Ukraine in its ongoing war effort.
Nevertheless, the reaction from Moscow was dismissive. Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said, “Don’t get so excited about every tweet.”
Commenting on the former president’s statement, former US congressman and diplomat Tom Malinowski said it represented “an amazing 180 degree turn, which might not last long.”
“But Putin will have only one question back. What more is Trump actually going to do to help Ukraine win? If nothing, then it’s just words,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Trump’s new position stands in stark contrast to his recent high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, which was widely seen as an effort to broker a swift end to the war. The conflict, now well into its third year, began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kyiv continues to seek full restoration of its territorial integrity, including the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Reclaiming all occupied areas would mark an extraordinary reversal of the current battlefield status quo. - September 24, 2025