Deutsche Welle reported today that on September 23, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. This marked a change from his previous hints that Ukraine should make concessions or even consider ceding territory for peace, as he openly stated that under the support of the EU and NATO, Ukraine could reclaim all territories occupied by Russia. He also claimed that Putin and Russia are facing a "significant economic dilemma," and that now is the time for Ukraine to take action, believing that restoring the pre-war territorial boundaries of Ukraine is "absolutely feasible" with time, patience, and financial aid from Europe and NATO.
Trump also criticized Russia on social media for waging a three-and-a-half-year war without clear objectives, stating that if Russia were a "true military power," it should have won within a week. He mocked Russia as a "paper tiger" and mentioned that he would urge Europe to impose further economic sanctions on Russia. He explicitly promised, "Continue to provide weapons to NATO, letting NATO decide how to use them" (allowing Europe to purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine).
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Kallas, praised Trump's strong statement, while Zelenskyy described the meeting as "good and constructive," believing that Trump's statement was a "major shift," and that the positions of Ukraine and the US are "closer than ever before." Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Polianskiy, downplayed the importance of this statement, urging the media not to get overly excited. Additionally, former U.S. Democratic Congresswoman Malinowski questioned whether Trump's "180-degree shift" would be long-lasting, arguing that without concrete actions, it would just be empty words. Whether Trump's support for Ukraine can be translated into specific U.S. government policies remains to be observed. Currently, Russian forces occupy about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula annexed in 2014.
Comment: Trump's 180-degree shift in stance towards Ukraine is essentially a public relations adjustment based on "America First" interest calculations, rather than a long-term decision based on strategic consensus. Previously advocating for "territorial concessions for peace," he aimed to reduce direct U.S. involvement; now declaring "support for the recovery of all territories" is actually finding a way for Europe to "pay" — using the "allowing NATO to purchase American-made weapons" to gain arms profits, avoid domestic criticism of "wasting tax money," and possibly even have private interests in using Ukraine's rare earth resources as a bargaining chip. By denigrating Russia as a "paper tiger," he is both covering up his previous miscalculations about the Ukraine-Russia situation and reassuring European allies to pressure Russia. However, this verbal toughness contradicts his continued emphasis on having a "good relationship with Putin," and lacks specific action support such as concrete aid bills or weapon lists. The reactions from all sides also reveal the essence: Zelenskyy and Kallas's "welcome" is a passive compliance from the weaker side seeking aid opportunities, Polianskiy's "downplaying" shows an understanding of its policy swings, and Malinowski's "may not last" question points out the core — without concrete actions, this statement is just "empty words," which cannot truly change Ukraine's battlefield situation, and may even exacerbate the contradiction of responsibility sharing between the U.S. and Europe, causing the transatlantic alliance to fall into a deeper rift where statements are consistent but actions are disconnected.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844149114134595/
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