- President Donald Trump changed his perspective on ending the war in Ukraine.
- Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
- He also met with Argentine President Javier Milei and then showered him with praise.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he now believes Ukraine’s borders could return to what they were before the war with Russia.
On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump met with multiple heads of state, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Argentine President Javier Milei.
Following his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump shifted his attitude on the war in Ukraine, saying he believes Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia.
What Trump said after meeting with Zelenksyy
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Trump has suggested a number of times that Ukraine should give up land in order to reach an agreement to end the war with Russia. A Truth Social post on Tuesday afternoon contradicted these previous statements.
“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,” the president wrote. “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.”
The president’s post also criticized Russia for how the war has been fought.
“Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger,’” Trump wrote.
After Trump posted, reporters asked Zelenskyy about the shift in Trump’s rhetoric toward the war, per The Associated Press. The Ukrainian president said Trump now appears “more closer to this situation.”
He added that Trump’s view on the war now coincides more with Ukraine’s than it did before. Zelenskyy did not share what had prompted the shift, but stressed its importance.
The Ukrainian president also shared that Trump seems ready to offer Ukraine security guarantees after the war ends, but didn’t give any details, per the AP.
It isn’t clear if Trump meant that the borders would return to what they were before Russia’s invasion in February 2022 or if this would also include Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, per NBC News.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also commented on the state of Russia’s economy.
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” he wrote.
“In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!” the post concluded.
What Trump said after his meeting with Milei
Another meeting Trump had on Tuesday was with Argentine President Javier Milei, and posted on Truth Social commending the president.
“Highly Respected President of Argentina, Javier Milei, has proven to be a truly fantastic and powerful Leader for the Great People of Argentina, advancing on all levels at record speed,” Trump wrote.
He complimented Milei on bringing back stability to Argentina’s economy after being left “a ‘total mess’ with horrible Inflation caused by the previous Radical Left President.”
“I look forward to continuing working closely with him so that both of our Countries can continue on their incredible paths of success,” the post continued.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined Trump in giving Milei his “full backing and endorsement,” per the AP. The two U.S. leaders have discussed how to boost Argentina’s economy amid severe volatility in the country’s financial markets.
“We’re going to help them, I don’t think they need a bailout,” Trump said on Tuesday, per the AP. “Scott is working with their country so that they can get good debt and all of the things that you need to make Argentina great again.”
In a post on X on Monday, Bessent wrote that “all options for stabilization are on the table.”
“These options may include, but are not limited to, swap lines, direct currency purchases, and purchases of U.S. dollar-denominated government debt from Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund,” the post continued.