Zelenskyy praises 'well-informed' Trump after president's Russia war pivot
LONDON -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his "productive meeting" with U.S.President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, after which Trump appeared to jettison his long-held skepticism of Kyiv's battlefield ambitions.Shortly after the meeting, Trump wrote on social media, "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 statement marked a dramatic pivot away from the White House's established position that Kyiv will not be able to liberate the 20% or so of its internationally-recognized territory occupied by Russian forces since 2014.Trump has repeatedly suggested that Zelenskyy will have to cede -- or "swap" -- some territory to achieve a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, telling the Ukrainian president at a fractious February Oval Office meeting, "You don't have the cards."But on Tuesday, the president appeared to have changed his tune.
"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.President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, September 23, 2025.Alexander Drago/ReutersWhy a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting matters -- and why it might not happen"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," he continued, suggesting Moscow was a "paper tiger" citing its battlefield failures.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov disputed Trump's comments, telling the RBC news agency on Wednesday, "Russia is not a tiger; Russia is more closely associated with a b...