Trump toughens tone on Russia, signals support for Kyiv

United Kingdom — US President Donald Trump has declared that Kyiv can “win all of Ukraine back in its original form”, in what marks a dramatic shift in his stance on the ongoing war with Russia.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump said Ukraine had the chance to reclaim its original borders with the backing of Europe and Nato, citing deepening economic pressures on Moscow. He suggested Kyiv could “maybe even go further than that”, though he stopped short of elaborating on what that might mean.

The comments came hours after Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly in New York and a high-profile meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Speaking afterwards, Zelensky welcomed what he described as a “big shift” in Washington’s position and suggested the US was willing to provide security guarantees “after the war is finished”.

Trump’s remarks represent a stark reversal. For much of the year, he had maintained that ending the conflict would require Kyiv to concede some territory — an outcome consistently rejected by Zelensky. Reports had even suggested Trump was prepared to press Ukraine to relinquish the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for a ceasefire, proposals believed to have been floated during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

By contrast, Tuesday’s statement depicted Russia as a “paper tiger” struggling under severe economic strain, and urged Ukraine to seize the moment.Zelensky, speaking later on Fox News, said he was surprised but encouraged by Trump’s remarks, calling them a “positive signal” that the US would stand by Ukraine “to the end of the war”.

Meanwhile, tensions with Moscow escalated further as Nato accused Russia of repeatedly breaching the airspace of member states Estonia, Poland and Romania. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte warned the incursions were part of a “pattern of increasingly irresponsible behaviour” and vowed the alliance would use “all necessary tools” to defend its members.

Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki, speaking at the UN, said his country was ready to “react adequately” to any aggression, declaring that Central and Eastern Europe “will not be scared of Russian drones”.Russia denied entering Estonian airspace and dismissed the Polish incident as unintentional, while offering no comment on Romania.

For Trump, unpredictability has long defined his foreign policy approach. His latest move — offering Ukraine the prospect of full restoration while simultaneously emphasising arms sales to Nato — may be intended to shake up peace efforts that have remained stalled for more than a month.

Whether it signals a sustained US commitment or another tactical pivot remains unclear. But for now, Kyiv views the shift as a welcome sign that Washington’s support is not wavering.