Trump says Ukraine can win; Zelensky meets at UN to discuss broader support

In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025, former President Donald Trump said Ukraine could reclaim all of its territory with Western support. The remarks followed the two leaders’ discussions and were echoed in a post Trump published on Truth Social, in which he said Ukraine, with EU backing, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form and perhaps go further.

Trump’s comments signal a notable shift from his earlier stance expressed in August, when he suggested that peace might require Kyiv to concede some territory to Moscow. He characterized Russia as a “paper tiger” after years of fighting that he said should have ended more quickly, and he argued Moscow’s military campaign had become bogged down after fighting aimlessly for three and a half years. He cited events such as alleged Kremlin drone incursions into Poland and Estonia’s airspace—and possibly Denmark—as demonstrations of Moscow’s desperation and an attempt to provoke Western fear of a wider conflict. He also pointed to Russia’s economy, which he said now depends heavily on war manufacturing and oil exports, noting Kyiv’s strikes on refineries have undermined those exports and challenged Moscow’s economic resilience. The former president asserted that Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and urged Ukraine to act decisively.

The remarks come as Washington and allied capitals continue to support Kyiv with military aid and as Western partners weigh sanctions and diplomatic options. Trump asserted that the United States will keep supplying NATO allies with weapons to pass along to Ukraine, and he suggested the administration could press for more artillery, air-defense systems and drones for Kyiv, while lifting restrictions on how Western-supplied weapons can be used. He also called for secondary sanctions targeting countries that still buy Russian oil, singling out China and India as key beneficiaries in the global energy market. Throughout the discussion, he implied a tougher line on Moscow would bring the war closer to a resolution, arguing that a more aggressive Western posture could accelerate Kyiv’s efforts to regain control of Ukrainian territory.

The notes accompanying the coverage describe a campaign-season frame in which Trump portrays Russia’s aggression as untenable and Ukraine’s defense as gaining the upper hand with sustained Western support. They also reflect a broader debate among U.S. and European policymakers about the appropriate balance between military aid to Kyiv and pressure on Moscow through sanctions and diplomacy. The situation continues to be deadly and complex, with regional dynamics and the broader security environment shaping each country’s approach to the conflict. While officials have cautioned against bridging too quickly from rhetoric to policy, the UN gathering provided a high-profile venue for a dramatic articulation of Trump’s views on Ukraine’s prospects and the role of international partners in shaping the outcome.

As Kyiv and its supporters navigate a protracted confrontation, analysts emphasize that any path to a comprehensive settlement remains uncertain and highly contingent on political and military developments on the ground. The UN platform underscored the ongoing urgency of sustaining international coordination, reformulating timelines for aid, and calibrating sanctions to maximize pressure on Moscow without provoking unintended escalations. The discussion also highlighted the enduring human costs of the war, with civilian casualties and displacement weighing heavily on communities across Ukraine and neighboring states, even as officials and observers track shifts in strategy and public sentiment across capitals. The world continues to watch how leaders translate public exhortations into practical steps that could alter the trajectory of the conflict.