The president said a Ukrainian victory would depend on continued financial and military support from Europe and NATO.
In a major shift, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine can win the war against Russia.
Following months of intense diplomatic efforts to bring Russia to the negotiating table and end the three-year conflict, the Trump administration signals a change of policy and support toward Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion.
Ukraine Can Win
“After getting to know and fully understand that 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 said in a post on the Truth Social platform.
Although the president’s language is carefully crafted to appear as neutral as possible, his statement alone is a clear change in policy in favor of Ukraine.
Moreover, it is interesting that Trump expressed a belief that the Ukrainian military can liberate all of Ukraine. His statement suggests that, based on the classified information he receives as the commander-in-chief, he believes that the Ukrainian forces can push back the Russian military from the Donbas, eastern and southern Ukraine, and liberate the Crimean Peninsula, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014. If the Ukrainians do achieve the above, it would be quite a military feat.
The president was quick to point out that a Ukrainian victory would depend on continued financial and military support from Europe and NATO.
“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 added.
Trump avoided saying that the United States would directly support Ukraine like it did in the past. Since the start of the war in 2022, the United States has provided close to $70 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The president just said that “we will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them.”
Referring to the combat capabilities of the Ukrainians, Trump said that the country has “Great Spirit, and only getting better” and that the Ukrainian military “would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that.”
Although the Ukrainian military maintained a foothold inside Russia’s Kursk Oblast, it is unlikely that Kyiv would choose to venture into Russia after having liberated Ukraine.
Russia’s in Trouble
This change in posture is a major failure for Russian president Vladimir Putin, who was invited by Trump to Alaska for a high-level meeting in August. Putin lost an opportunity to end the war by offering meaningful concessions.
Moreover, Trump focused much of his statement on Russia’s dire economic situation after more than three years of war and international sanctions that have turned one of the world’s largest economies into a pariah.
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble,” the president said, adding that Russian citizens are having trouble accessing basic goods, such as gasoline for their vehicles.
Trump’s warming up to Ukraine is good news for the embattled country’s effort to win.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com
