TL;DR: President Trump said Ukraine can "fight and WIN all of Ukraine back," including Crimea, citing Russia’s economic troubles. The statement marks a significant change from his earlier position but includes no immediate policy action.
🗞️ What Happened
- Trump signals support for full Ukrainian territorial recovery, including Crimea, saying: “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”
- Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.”
- This marks a reversal from his previous stance suggesting Ukraine might have to give up territory for peace.
- No new U.S. policy was announced, Trump did not commit to new sanctions or direct military aid beyond continuing to supply weapons to NATO.
- In his UN speech, Trump warned Russia of “strong economic measures” but said U.S. allies must also increase pressure.
🧑🤝🧑 Who Said What
- Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian President, called the shift a “big change” and said their meeting with Trump was “good, constructive.”
- Zelenskiy told Fox News: “The positions of the Ukrainian and U.S. teams were closer than any time before.”
- Kaja Kallas, EU foreign policy chief, praised the statement: “These have been very strong statements that we haven’t heard before... we are in the same understanding now.”
- Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador, downplayed the statement: “Don’t get so excited about every tweet.”
- Tom Malinowski, former U.S. Representative, said: “An amazing 180-degree turn... But if nothing [is done], then it’s just words.”
🔍 Context and Implications
- Trump’s shift comes after a recent meeting with Zelenskiy at the UN General Assembly in New York.
- Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea since 2014.
- Despite tough rhetoric, calling Russia a “paper tiger”, Trump’s only firm commitment was to keep supplying weapons to NATO allies.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the UN: “This war needs to end… if not, Trump will take steps to impose costs for continued aggression.”
- Zelenskiy continues to urge more sanctions on Russia and security guarantees for Ukraine after the war.