Former US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social on 23/9, stated, "Russia and President Vladimir Putin are facing significant economic challenges, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. Given Russia's economic struggles due to the war, I believe that with support from the European Union (EU), Ukraine is in a position to fight and reclaim all of its original territory,".
Trump asserted that Russia has been "fighting aimlessly" for over three years and is now a "paper tiger" rather than a formidable nuclear power.
Trump, who has repeatedly urged NATO to shoulder more of the burden of supporting Ukraine, affirmed that Washington would continue to provide weapons to NATO "to do with as they please," seemingly alluding to a new mechanism allowing Europe to purchase US weapons for Ukraine.
He also suggested that NATO countries have the right to shoot down any Russian fighter jets violating their airspace, following accusations by some Eastern European countries that Russian aircraft had entered their airspace. Moscow has denied these accusations.
 |
Former US President Donald Trump (right) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 23/9. Photo: AFP |
Former US President Donald Trump (right) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 23/9. Photo: AFP
Trump's suggestion that Ukraine could reclaim all its territory contrasts with his previous statements that Kyiv should cede land in exchange for a peace agreement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed surprise at this new viewpoint, praising it as a "significant shift."
Meanwhile, some European nations expressed concern that Trump's message might not be entirely as it seems. The mention of the EU and NATO, along with the closing remark "Good luck to all!", led to concerns that he might be trying to distance the US from the conflict, which he blames on his successor, Joe Biden.
Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, expressed skepticism about Trump's message. "Don't get too excited about every post of his," Polyanskiy said.
The Truth Social post followed a meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Zelensky briefed Trump on recent military successes, despite Russia's significant advances in the east.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Zelensky described the meeting as "good and constructive." The two leaders discussed Russia's struggling economy and Trump's willingness to provide security guarantees to Ukraine after the war ends.
According to Zelensky, Trump has enough influence and power to be a "game-changer" for Ukraine in the war.
After returning to the White House, Trump intensified his mediation efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The US president held a summit with his Russian counterpart on 15/8 in Alaska and later met with European leaders and Zelensky at the White House on 18/8. However, his efforts have yet to yield concrete results.
 |
Areas controlled by Russia (pink). Graphic: WP |
Areas controlled by Russia (pink). Graphic: WP
On 19/9, Trump stated that his "biggest disappointment" was the inability to end the conflict in Ukraine. He had previously suggested that he could easily resolve the conflict due to his personal relationship with Putin, but this has not been the case. "He really disappointed me," Trump said.
Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, stretching from the northeast to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. Russia holds almost all of Luhansk province and nearly two-thirds of Donetsk province, the two regions that make up Ukraine's strategic industrial heartland of Donbas. More than half of Kherson province and part of Zaporizhzhia province are under Russian control.
In addition, the Russian military holds some small areas in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions of northeastern Ukraine, and has captured several villages in Dnipropetrovsk province.
Huyen Le (Reuters, AFP)
