Trump tells Ukraine: Take back all your land… then go further

Donald Trump has urged Volodymyr Zelensky to take back all of Ukraine’s territory won by Russia and “go even further than that”.

The policy reversal was posted on Truth Social after his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

He said in his post: “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.”

Dismissing Russia as a “paper tiger” in economic peril, Mr Trump added that Ukraine could “take back their country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!”.

The president wrote: “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?”

The comments come just a month after the US president welcomed Vladimir Putin on the red carpet in Alaska.

But speaking with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, on Tuesday evening, Mr Trump admitted: “That relationship didn’t mean anything.”

Mr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, admitted he was surprised by Mr Trump’s comments.

He told Fox News on Tuesday night: “I am sure in my people, in my army, and I am sure in strengthening support of the United States. But President Trump was more positive in it and he showed that he wants to support Ukraine to the very end, so we understand now that we are ready to finish this war as quick as possible.”

The US president has previously refused to fully back Mr Zelensky, pushing instead for an immediate end to the war rather than support Ukraine’s efforts to repel the invading forces.

The pair even had a televised bust-up in February where Mr Trump told his counterpart: “You don’t have the cards to win.”

But now Mr Trump appears to have changed his tune, accusing Russia of “fighting aimlessly” in his Truth Social post.

In response to the U-turn, Mr Zelensky said the post was a “big shift”, adding: “He is ready to give Ukraine security guarantees after this war will finish.”

He said: “Trump is a game-changer by himself if he will be sure [of] Ukraine [winning]. He is… closer now to this situation.”

The Ukrainian president said Putin had shared “fairytales” with Mr Trump about Russia’s ability on the field, while he and the US president had held a “good, constructive meeting” together earlier in the day.

Earlier, Mr Trump said Nato countries should shoot down Russian fighter jets that violate their airspace.

Speaking alongside the Ukrainian president, after the pair held a meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the US president also refused to rule out the possibility of America joining military action to shoot down Russian jets.

He said it would “depend on the circumstance… we’re very strong toward Nato. Nato has stepped up”.

Mr Trump was asked by a reporter if Nato countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that violate Nato airspace. He responded plainly: “Yes, I do.”

Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, said the UK was “ready to act” after Mr Trump’s comments.

Ms Cooper criticised Moscow for its “provocative and reckless” violations of Nato airspace in recent weeks during a speech to the United Nations.

“Ukraine’s security is our security, and all of us depend on upholding the UN Charter,” she told the United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

“Russia’s actions seek to undermine democracy, secure conflict and spread instability far beyond Europe’s borders,” she said.

“In recent weeks, we’ve seen provocative and reckless violations of Nato airspace in Estonia, Poland and Romania, against which Nato stands firm, and we will be ready to act.”

She was speaking after a series of airspace violations by Russia, which sent three military jets into Estonian airspace for 12 minutes on Sept 19.

Earlier at the UN summit, the US president again praised the Ukrainian army and criticised Putin’s failed invasion.

“It’s not a good thing for Russia, it was supposed to be quick,” he said, referring to Putin’s initial plan to take Ukraine in three days.

“Russia doesn’t look very distinguished having taken three-and-a-half years of very hard fighting. It looks like it’s not going to end for a long time.”

He added: “We have great respect for the fight Ukraine is putting up, it’s pretty amazing actually.”

He said the “biggest progress” was that Russia’s economy was “terrible… it’s crashing”, adding: “Frankly, Ukraine is doing a very good job at stopping this very large army.”

Russia’s recent incursion into Estonia came just days after Moscow sent drones into Poland and Romania, sparking concern in Nato.

Keith Kellogg, Mr Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, also appeared to back Nato shooting down Russian fighter jets that violate the airspace of alliance members.

“I thought what [Radosław Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister] said yesterday was really good,” Gen Kellogg was heard telling Alexander Stubb, the Finnish president, at the UN.

Mr Sikorski, speaking after the Russian fighter jets in Estonia were repelled by Italian F-35s, said on Monday: “I have only one request to the Russian government: if another missile or aircraft enters our space without permission, deliberately or by mistake, and gets shot down and the wreckage falls on Nato territory, please don’t come here to whine about it. You have been warned.”

Last week, Mr Zelensky said Nato should have shot down a drone that flew over Romania en route to Ukraine.

The US president initially responded to the first incursion by suggesting that Russia’s violation of Polish airspace may have been a “mistake”.

But he was contradicted by Gen Kellogg, who responded to the incursion by saying it may have been a “test” of Western resolve.

“If it had all happened at once, maybe you could call it an accident. But six hours of drones? That’s a test – a way to see what the West would do. And we have to respond like it’s a test,” the envoy said earlier this week.

Nato released an official statement on Tuesday condemning Russia’s incursion into Estonia.

It warned Moscow that the alliance was ready to use “all necessary and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions”.

“We will continue to respond in the manner, timing, and domain of our choosing. Our commitment to Article 5 is ironclad,” the statement read.

Gen Kellogg, who has been one of Ukraine’s most vocal backers since Mr Trump returned to the White House in January, met with Mr Zelensky ahead of the General Assembly.

The envoy also held a meeting with Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defence minister, about how to improve Kyiv’s air defences.

But the general’s role has been brought into question several times after he appeared to be frozen out of US-mediated Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

He is also considered to be more of a hawk in an administration that is largely sceptical of continuing support for Ukraine.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump reiterated his call for European countries to stop buying Russian oil.

The president said it was “embarrassing” that European countries were “funding the war against themselves”.

He said later that he would call his “friend” Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, to urge him to stop purchasing Russian oil.

“He’s a friend of mine. I have not spoken to him, but I have a feeling if I did, he might stop, and I think I’ll be doing that,” Mr Trump said.