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Donald Trump has said that Kyiv is in a position to win “all of Ukraine back in its original form” in a striking rhetorical shift against Russia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US President said the Russian army was a “paper tiger” and that Kyiv should act now to win back all of the land captured since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.
His comments came after he met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday evening, where he delivered an extraordinary attack on Washington’s allies over their climate and migration policies. Trump made several false claims in the speech, including the baseless far-right conspiracy theory that London has adopted sharia law.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” he added.
The US president also said Nato should shoot down Russian warplanes violating the alliance’s skies after incursions were reported in Poland, Romania and Estonia.
Russian air defence units have repelled a “massive” drone attack on fuel and energy infrastructure facilities in the Volgograd region, governor Andrey Bocharov said on Wednesday.
No casualties have been reported according to early data, he said.
Russia’s defence ministry said the military intercepted and destroyed 70 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight.
Alex Croft24 September 2025 07:40
Almost 70 per cent of the region is now held by Moscow, with just four cities in the zone remaining independent from Russian rule.
Putin’s forces are now using infiltration tactics to secure the remaining Ukrainian outposts, a tactic Col Pavlo Yurchuk, commander of Ukraine’s 63rd Brigade, said will not lead to “control of large settlements”.
He said that if Russian capture Lyman, then they could cross the Siverskyi Donets River and take Sloviansk, though he is “sure they will fail”.
“From a military point of view it looks correct — on the map it looks neat — but after nearly three and a half years of war we all know that such deep manoeuvres and wide flanking operations are not Russia’s forte.”
Ukraine to face new gruelling test as Russia intensifies Donetsk campaign
Ukraine is gearing up for a new test from Russia as Vladimir Putin’s forces ramp up their campaign to seize Donetsk’s fortress belt. Almost 70 per cent of the region is now held by Moscow, with just four cities in the zone remaining independent from Russian rule. Putin’s forces are now using infiltration tactics to secure the remaining Ukrainian outposts, a tactic Col. Pavlo Yurchuk, commander of Ukraine’s 63rd Brigade, said will not lead to “control of large settlements”. He said that if Russian capture Lyman, then they could cross the Siverskyi Donets River and take Sloviansk, though he is “sure they will fail”. “From a military point of view it looks correct — on the map it looks neat — but after nearly three and a half years of war we all know that such deep manoeuvres and wide flanking operations are not Russia’s forte.”
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 07:20
US president Donald Trump has said Nato should shoot down Russian warplanes violating the alliance’s skies after incursions were reported in Poland, Romania and Estonia.
On being asked by reporters whether he thinks Nato nations should shoot down Russian aircraft in such circumstances, the president said: “Yes, I do.”
Estonia on Friday confirmed three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes before Italian fighter jets escorted them out.
The week before, some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Nato jets to shoot some of them down and the alliance to beef up the defence of Europe’s eastern flank.
US president Donald Trump points to attendees after delivering remarks to the United Nations General Assembly (AFP via Getty Images)
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 07:10
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of wanting to “carry on aggression” as he delivered his address at the UN General Assembly.
“Russia uses its veto power in the Security Council solely to prolong the war and continue the killings. Putin does not think about peace — only about how to carry on the aggression,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian war-time president said that his country along with the UK, France and more than 30 other nations is building “a new security architecture within the Coalition of the Willing”.
“We count on strong support from the United States. Real security guarantees must become the line Russia will never again be able to cross,” he said.
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 06:56
In his speech to the General Assembly yesterday, Donald Trump said the war in Ukraine was making Russia “look bad” because it was “supposed to be a quick little skirmish”.
“It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country,” he said.
“The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”
Shortly after, he wrote on Truth Social: “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’.”
“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump told the General Assembly.
Donald Trump takes the stage during the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York (Getty Images)
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 06:35
Before his Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin last month, Donald Trump repeated that any resolution to the war would require “some land swapping”.
In talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and Europeans just afterward, Trump said Putin reiterated that he wants the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas, according to European officials.
Days later, Zelensky and prominent European leaders came to the White House.
Following those meetings, Trump announced he was arranging for direct talks between Putin and Zelensky. But Putin hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelensky and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.
European leaders as well as American lawmakers, including some Republican allies of Trump, have urged the president to dial up stronger sanctions on Russia.
“In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump told the General Assembly.
However, he repeated his calls for Europe to “step it up” and stop buying Russian oil, the engine feeding Putin’s war machine.
Now, last night at the UN General Assembly, he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the US leader’s repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during the ‘Pursuing Peace’ talks in Anchorage in Alaska (AP)
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 06:09
Nato has warned Russia that it would use “all necessary military and non-military tools” to defend itself as it condemned Moscow for violating Estonian airspace in a “pattern of increasingly irresponsible behaviour”.
The warning came after Estonia said on Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes before Nato Italian fighter jets escorted them out.
The week before, some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting Nato jets to shoot some of them down and the alliance to beef up the defence of Europe’s eastern flank.
US president Donald Trump appeared to come out in favour of a robust Nato response to any future incursions as he spoke to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth held a call with Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur yesterday and told him that Washington “stands with all Nato allies and that any incursion into Nato airspace is unacceptable,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte speaks during a press conference at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels (Reuters)
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 05:44
Poland’s deputy prime minister has said suggested the country will down the next Russian warplanes violating Nato’s airspace after a go ahead from Donald Trump.
Reacting to a video showing Trump saying that Nato countries should down Russian aircraft violating their airspace, deputy PM Radoslaw Sikorski said: “Roger that”.
Trump was asked the question on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly where reporters asked him if the US will help out Nato in downing Russian planes breaching airspace.
“Depends on the circumstance, but we’re very strong toward Nato,” he said.
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 05:32
Donald Trump has said Russia is fighting the war in Ukraine aimlessly without making any gains as he called Moscow a “paper tiger”.
“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.’,” the US president said in a post on Truth Social.
He also appeared to row back on recent remarks about the ground situation in the war – his administration has repeatedly suggested Ukraine is losing and needs to make a deal for its own survival.
“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. 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 said.
He ended his post by saying: “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act. 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!”
Arpan Rai24 September 2025 05:14