LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his “productive assembly” with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations Basic Meeting on Tuesday, after which Trump appeared to jettison his long-held skepticism of Kyiv’s battlefield ambitions.
Shortly after the assembly, Trump wrote on social media, “After attending to know and absolutely perceive the Ukraine/Russia Army and Financial state of affairs and, after seeing the Financial hassle it’s inflicting Russia, I believe Ukraine, with the assist of the European Union, is able to struggle and WIN all of Ukraine again in its authentic type.”
It was not instantly clear whether or not Trump’s rhetorical shift can be matched with a coverage pivot. However the publish was met with cautious optimism in Kyiv, Oleksandr Merezhko — a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing Zelenskyy’s occasion and chair of the physique’s international affairs committee — advised ABC Information.
Trump’s assertion marked a dramatic pivot away from the White Home’s established place that Kyiv will be unable to liberate the 20% or so of its internationally-recognized territory occupied by Russian forces since 2014.
Trump has repeatedly prompt that Zelenskyy should cede — or “swap” — some territory to attain a peace cope with Russian President Vladimir Putin, telling the Ukrainian president at a fractious February Oval Workplace assembly, “You do not have the playing cards.”
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy throughout the eightieth United Nations Basic Meeting, in New York Metropolis, September 23, 2025.
Alexander Drago/Reuters
However on Tuesday, the president appeared to have modified his tune. “With time, persistence, and the monetary assist of Europe and, specifically, Nato, the unique Borders from the place this Conflict began, could be very a lot an possibility. Why not?” Trump wrote.
“Russia has been combating aimlessly for 3 and a half years, a conflict that ought to have taken a Actual Army Energy lower than per week to win,” he continued, suggesting Moscow was a “paper tiger” citing its battlefield failures.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov disputed Trump’s feedback, telling the RBC information company on Wednesday, “Russia shouldn’t be a tiger; Russia is extra carefully related to a bear. There aren’t any paper bears. Russia is an actual bear.”
Peskov additionally rejected Trump’s suggestion that the Russian economic system was struggling. “Let’s not neglect that the world has entered a stage of utterly unpredictable macroeconomic circumstances,” he advised RBC.
“We’re persevering with our particular army operation to guard our pursuits and obtain the objectives” set by Putin, Peskov stated. “We’re doing this for the current and way forward for our nation. For a lot of generations to come back. Due to this fact, we have now no various.”
Trump, Peskov stated, “heard Zelenskyy’s model of occasions. Apparently, this model was the rationale for the evaluation we heard. We can not agree with the whole lot right here.”
Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov is predicted to fulfill with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UNGA on Wednesday.
Noting that deliberate assembly, Peskov stated that Russia-U.S. “channels of dialogue are working, we’re speaking to the Individuals, and President Putin nonetheless extremely values Trump’s willingness to assist, Trump’s willingness to hunt an answer collectively.”
A Russian soldier stands outdoors a faculty within the city of Kurakhove, within the occupied Donetsk area, on Sept. 23, 2025.
Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy stated in a publish to Telegram that he was “grateful to President Trump for robust cooperation with the US.”
“The president clearly understands the state of affairs and is properly knowledgeable about all points of this conflict,” Zelenskyy added. “We extremely admire his dedication to assist finish this conflict.”
Chatting with reporters after the assembly, Zelenskyy described Trump’s pivot as “an enormous shift, a very huge shift.”
Requested if the social media publish by Trump is a “sport changer” for the conflict, Zelenskyy responded: “Trump is a sport changer by himself.”
Zelenskyy added that he thinks the president is now conscious of “extra particulars” of what’s occurring on the battlefield, and prompt that U.S. intelligence on the state of affairs is aligned with Ukraine’s.
Zelenskyy additionally stated it was “excellent news” that Russia’s economic system is struggling amid the strains of its full-scale invasion, however that it was “unhealthy information” that Moscow nonetheless has the assets to fund its conflict.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy throughout the eightieth United Nations Basic Meeting, in New York Metropolis, New York Metropolis, September 23, 2025.
Evan Vucci/AP
“Trump agreed with me that Putin will not look forward to the conflict in Ukraine to finish,” he added. “He’ll attempt to exploit weak locations in Europe, in NATO nations, he’ll attempt to do it.”
Merezhko stated he noticed Trump’s assertion as a “nice shock, giving some hope that he lastly is beginning to view Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine in a special mild.”
“On the similar time, figuring out how typically Trump would possibly change his stance, we needs to be cautiously optimistic,” Merezhko added. “What issues are his actions, concrete steps to assist Ukraine, not solely rhetoric, nonetheless good it may be.”
“Trump’s assertion implies that the U.S. will proceed to promote weapons to the European and NATO nations for Ukraine,” he added. “And in addition it may be inferred from this assertion that Ukraine will not be restricted in using American weaponry within the territory of Russia.”
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a distinguished opposition member of parliament, was much less sanguine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a web based assembly with leaders of BRICS group of states from Sochi, Russia, on Sept. 8, 2025.
Vyacheslav Prokofyev/through Reuters
“Trump’s assertion shouldn’t be about Ukraine’s victory, it’s about washing fingers of the conflict,” he wrote on Telegram. “He immediately says: ‘You cope with the EU there. I hope you succeed. Good luck to everybody!'”
“Clearly, proper now Russia doesn’t need to cease,” Goncharenko added. “However our job is to not threat the lives of tons of of hundreds, however to be on the protection.”
“The fact is that we’re neither dropping nor profitable,” he continued, warning that embarking on a expensive “conflict of attrition” can be “idiocy.”
ABC Information’ Karen Travers, Michelle Stoddart, Hannah Demissie, Mariam Khan, Anna Sergeeva and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
