Trump says Ukraine can win back territory from Russia, shifting his tone on the war
By Kevin Liptak, Adam Cancryn, Jennifer Hansler, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukraine could restore its borders from before Russia’s invasion and that he believes NATO member countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace, escalating his rhetoric against the Kremlin as its war in Ukraine drags on.
Taken together, Trump’s remarks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly about shooting down Russian aircraft and his later post on Truth Social about Ukraine’s borders seemed to reflect a significant shift in his attitude toward Moscow and what the end of the intractable conflict might look like.
His comments on Ukraine’s borders represent the first time since taking office that he’s suggested the nation could win back all of the territory that Russia has taken since 2014. He had previously suggested Ukraine would need to give up some of its territory in order to secure a peace deal. And his statement on NATO shooting down aircraft suggests a willingness to put the defense alliance in more direct conflict with Russia than merely giving weapons to Ukraine.
“Yes, I do,” Trump said when posed a question about NATO shoot-downs during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Later, on Truth Social, Trump wrote that after developing a more fulsome understanding of Ukraine and Russia’s economic and military situations, he had come to believe “Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.” He said the conflict was making Russia look like a “paper tiger,” and asserted it was costing Moscow significant funds and making it hard to get gasoline.
“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. Why not?” Trump wrote in a lengthy post, adding, “Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that! Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”
CNN has asked the White House on what borders Trump is specifically referring to.
Zelensky hailed Trump’s post as “a big shift,” calling the US leader “a gamechanger.”
“This post of Trump, it’s a big shift,” Zelensky said at a press conference later in the afternoon.
Zelensky told reporters that he briefed Trump “on what’s going on,” and the US president “agreed with” him about the situation on the battlefield.
“I think that president is – he knows some details. And I think he knows more details … than before. And I am happy with this, and I’m thankful for him, or maybe also for him, for his people who briefed him,” Zelensky said.
Asked if it’s a “gamechanger” that Trump believes Ukraine can win, Zelensky replied, “Trump is a game changer by himself.”
But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a different stance to Trump just a few hours after his post, saying the war “cannot end militarily.”
“It will end at a negotiating table,” Rubio said at a UN Security Council meeting on the conflict. “That’s where this war will end.”
“The United States remains as committed as it’s ever been to a peaceful resolution to this dangerous conflict,” he told the UN body. He said the US may conclude that there is no peaceful resolution. He said he urged the council, including Russia, to “do everything their power” to “bring this war to an end.”
No indication the US will provide more support
In his Truth Social post, Trump suggested Ukraine could win the war with European support, with no mention of the US getting further involved. CNN has asked the Trump administration whether it is going to provide Ukraine any more support.
Recent incursions of Russian aircraft over Poland, Estonia and other nations have led to the first direct encounters between NATO and Moscow since the start of the Ukraine war, testing the alliance’s preparedness and credibility in deterring Russia’s aggression.
European leaders have voiced outrage and vowed to respond with force. But NATO’s leader said Tuesday that shooting down Russian aircraft should only proceed after an analysis of intent.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said shoot-downs should depend “on available intelligence regarding the threat posed by the aircraft, including questions we have to answer like intent, armaments and potential risk to allies, forces, civilians or infrastructure.”
“We will always assess the situation, assess the immediate threat the plane poses,” Rutte said. He was speaking after a meeting of NATO members requested by Estonia after Russian jets violated its airspace last week.
Trump, speaking a few hours later, appeared less cautious, offering no qualifiers about when or if NATO members should shoot down violating Russian aircraft. He also stopped short of saying the United States would join in the effort.
“Depends on the circumstance,” he said. “But you know, we’re very strong toward NATO.”
Rubio more cautious
The president’s comments came hours after Rubio, indicated the US would not shoot down Russian jets that enter NATO airspace but said the alliance would continue to intercept them.
Rubio said he didn’t think NATO allies would shoot down Russian aircraft “unless they’re attacking.”
“I think what you have seen is NATO responding to those intrusions the way we respond to them all the time, and that is when enter your airspace or your defense zone, you go up and you intercept them,” Rubio said in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday.
NATO members have scrambled in recent weeks after Russian drones and aircraft violated their airspace. Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission Friday. That came the week after several Russian drones and fighter jets entered Polish airspace, prompting a scramble of F-15 and F-35 fighter jets.
On Monday, two of Scandinavia’s busiest airports — Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark — were forced to close for several hours due to drone sightings, disrupting the travel plans of tens of thousands of people.
When asked about the incident Tuesday, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said she “cannot reject in any way that it could be Russia” behind it.
Trump declined to pin blame on Russia when asked about the incident Tuesday.
“I have no response until I find out exactly what happened. I know about it but … they don’t know what happened. But we’re going to find out very soon,” he said.
European allies warned Monday during a fiery emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that they would shoot down Russian jets or drones involved in any further violations of NATO airspace.
The incursions have raised questions about how prepared Europe is to defend itself against Russian aggression. Trump has warned the continent it must do more to bolster its own security and has put the onus on other NATO members to provide funding for Ukraine’s military assistance.
Rutte on Tuesday said NATO was prepared to defend itself.
“We have all the defensive systems in place to make sure that we can defend every inch of allied territory,” he said. “That’s what we have shown both in the Polish case as well as in the Estonian case.”
This headline and story have been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
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