In extraordinary shift, Trump says Ukraine can win war with Russia
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump said Tuesday that he believes Ukraine can "win" the war against Russia and take back all of the territory lost over the course of Moscow's invasion.
Why it matters: Trump's remarks after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York represent an extraordinary 180-degree shift in his position on the war.
- For months, Trump has claimed Zelensky "doesn't have the cards" — arguing that time is not on Ukraine's side and that Russia is winning the war.
- He has urged the Ukrainian president to make territorial concessions to Russia in order to reach a deal that would end the conflict.
What they're saying: "After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it 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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account shortly after meeting Zelensky.
- He said that "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."
- Trump called Russia's military "a paper tiger" and said that the people of Russia do not know the full extent of the economic destruction that President Vladimir Putin has caused.
- "Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them," Trump added.
The latest: "Trump is a game-changer by himself," Zelensky told reporters in between meetings at the UN, calling the U.S. president's post a "big shift" and "very positive."
- "He is ready to give Ukraine security guarantees" after the war ends, Zelensky added.
The intrigue: Trump wrote that Ukraine may be able to "take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!"
- The notion that Ukraine could seize Russian territory — or even Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014 — is likely to infuriate Putin and draw nuclear saber-rattling from pro-Kremlin war hawks.
- "I thought [solving the war] was going to be the easiest one because of my relationship with Putin," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, that relationship didn't mean anything."
The big picture: With negotiations at a standstill, tensions between Russia and NATO have escalated dramatically in recent weeks.
- NATO has accused Russia of violating the airspace of Poland and Estonia, two of its frontline member states. Norway revealed Tuesday that Russia violated its airspace three times in 2025.
- Trump said while meeting with Zelensky Tuesday that he supports NATO shooting down Russian aircraft that violate allied airspace, though he added that U.S. backup would "depend on the circumstance."
