United States President Donald Trump has shifted his stance on the war in Ukraine, saying he now believes Kyiv can regain all of the territory seized by Russia since its invasion.
The comments came shortly after Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.”
The statement marked a significant departure from his earlier position that both Ukraine and Russia would need to cede territory in order to end the conflict.
Trump has previously suggested Kyiv might have to give up Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine to reach a settlement.
Zelenskyy has been urging stronger support from Washington, including tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Many Ukrainians were unsettled by Trump’s decision to host Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska in August, fearing it signalled weakness toward Moscow’s aggression.
In Tuesday’s post, Trump criticised Russia, noting: “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years [in] a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win.”
Despite the shift in rhetoric, Trump stopped short of announcing new measures. He said the United States would continue supplying weapons to allies “for NATO to do what they want with them”.
The remarks come as Ukraine presses its case for increased Western backing to sustain its counteroffensive and prevent further territorial losses in the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
