President Donald Trump has significantly changed his stance on the Russian conflict, announcing on Tuesday that Ukraine now has a chance to reclaim all of its lost territories and possibly more.
This notable shift occurs just over a month after the U.S. president had initially aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a proposed peace agreement that involved Ukraine surrendering its land to the invading forces.
“Having observed the economic strain on Russia, I now believe that Ukraine, backed by the European Union, is in a strong position to fight and RECOVER the entirety of Ukraine in its initial state,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon following discussions at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“With time, strategic patience, and the financial backing from Europe, especially NATO, restoring the original Borders from this War’s inception is indeed a possibility.”
In his extensive statement, Trump remarked that Russia seems like “a paper tiger” possibly unable to sustain its ambitious military actions with its depleted forces. He asserted that a “genuine military power” would have concluded the war in under a week.
The Republican further pledged to provide NATO with more weapons so they can keep aiding Ukraine with ammunition, vehicles, and other resources for their military campaign.
It comes right after Trump insisted that NATO nations should feel emboldened to shoot down Russian planes if they enter their countries’ airspace.
The change in heart comes after Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace this week amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. Russian jets also provoked the U.S.’s European allies in recent days after flying fighter jets into NATO airspace.
Donald Trump said that NATO nations should shoot down Russian planes if they enter their countries’ airspace
During his summit with Vladimir Putin just last month Trump said he favored a peace deal for Ukraine that involved land transfers, which included Ukraine ceding control of territories such as Donetsk to Russia.
He acknowledged that Russia occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine and argued that peace agreement could be reached if Ukraine agreed to relinquish those territories rather than insisting on a ceasefire first.
But after facing Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump changed his tune in one of the most stinging rebukes to Putin’s desires.
When pressed by his Truth Social statement, Trump reiterated to reporters that Ukraine ‘can fight too’ and suggested he wants to ‘let them get their land back.’
Speaking alongside Zelensky at United Nations headquarters on Tuesday, Trump suggested that the U.S. might back up North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries forced to take action if Russia provokes them.
‘Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?’ a reporter asked Trump.
‘Yes, I do,’ he replied.
Another reporter asked Trump if the U.S. would ‘back up’ or ‘help out’ NATO allies who shoot down Russian planes.
Trump said it ‘depends on the circumstance, but we’re very strong towards NATO.’
World leaders are gathered in New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly. Trump delivered remarks to the entire body on Tuesday morning and is engaging in bilateral and multilateral meetings through the afternoon – including with Zelensky.
Trump has grown frustrated with the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and appears to be losing patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s apparent unwillingness to reach a deal.
At his meeting with Zelensky on Tuesday, Trump urged NATO allies to strike Russian aircraft flying over their countries’ borders.
Trump made remarks to other world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2025
There have been three major instances this month where Russian craft entered the airspace of countries that were not Ukraine.
On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes over the Gulf of Finland. NATO intercepted but did not engage with the aircraft.
A few days later, on September 21, a Russian IL-20M reconnaissance plane entered neutral Baltic Sea airspace. German and Swedish jets intercepted that plane.
And then on Monday, September 22, Russian warplanes entered Romanian and Polish airspace during exercises.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it a ‘large-scale provocation’ and warned it was the closest Poland has come to open conflict since World War II. He invoked NATO Article 4 for consultations.
‘We will make a decision to shoot down flying objects without discussion when they violate our territory and fly over Poland. There is no room for debate here,’ Tusk said on Monday.
And Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski told the UN Security Council on Tuesday: ‘If another missile or aircraft enters our space without permission… and gets shot down… please don’t come here to whine about it. You have been warned.’
Fire breaks out after the Russian aerial and drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on September 22, 2025. At least five hits on civilian infrastructure are recorded
Russia has denied intent and claims the range limits of its drones could not reach Poland. Moscow blamed electronic warfare disruptions for their aircraft entering foreign airspace.
Trump welcomed Putin for a three-hour meeting in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15. It was their first in-person summit since Trump’s reelection and was aimed at the U.S. president helping negotiate terms to end the war with Ukraine.
Putin’s visit to Alaska marked the first time the U.S. hosted a meeting with a Russian president since 2007.
Walking away from the meeting, Trump said that he wanted to see Putin and Zelensky hold talks without him and that he would help facilitate a deal if needed.
The two have failed to set up a bilateral meeting since then and the war has raged on.
