Since meeting with Zelenskyy on September 23, US President Trump, who has repeatedly wavered in his stance on the Ukraine-Russia issue, has recently taken a tough position against Russia, and US Vice President Vance has quickly followed suit.

According to reports from U.S. media outlets such as Fox News and Politico, on September 28 local time, US Vice President Vance said in an interview that Russia must "wake up and accept reality."

In a program on Fox News, Vance stated, "Russia's economy is in collapse, and the Russian military has made little progress on the battlefield. Obviously, it's time for them to take the president's passionate call seriously, sit at the negotiating table, and genuinely discuss peace."

He added, "I think the situation has changed. The Russians have killed many people and also lost many, but they haven't achieved much." Vance also said, "We hope to achieve peace here. From the beginning of this administration, we have actively pursued peace, but the Russians must wake up and accept reality."

In addition, Vance confirmed that the U.S. is considering Ukraine's request for "Tomahawk" missiles, but he did not give a clear answer, stating that the final decision would be made by Trump. "You asked about the Tomahawk missile question. That's something the president will decide. The president will take actions that are in the best interest of the United States," he said.

Photo of US Vice President Vance being interviewed on September 28 local time, photo courtesy of U.S. media

According to the introduction, the range of different models of "Tomahawk" missiles varies from 1,500 kilometers to 2,400 kilometers, several times the range of the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System that Ukrainian forces received last year, and can strike deep into Russian territory.

On September 23 local time, Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy during the UN General Assembly. It is reported that Zelenskyy requested more long-range missiles (including "Tomahawk" cruise missiles) during the meeting and allowed their use to attack targets inside Russia. Trump said he was willing to consider providing the U.S.-made long-range weapons to Ukraine and lifting restrictions on their attacks on targets inside Russia, but had not made a clear commitment yet.

After meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump's position underwent a significant shift, and he posted on social media that he believed Ukraine could win the war and reclaim its territory.

Trump wrote, "After fully understanding and comprehending the military and economic situation of Ukraine and Russia, and seeing the economic difficulties this has brought to Russia, I believe that Ukraine, with the support of the EU, has the ability to defeat Russia and reclaim its original territories."

He also said that Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years, and a real military power should have won in less than a week. In fact, this has made them look like a "paper tiger" ("paper tiger").

Furthermore, at the UN General Assembly, Trump stated that if Russia does not agree to end the Ukraine crisis, the U.S. is willing to impose high tariffs on Russia. Trump also called on European countries to join the U.S. in sanctioning Russia. Trump said that if Russia is unwilling to reach a peace agreement, the U.S. is fully prepared to implement the most severe tariff measures.

U.S. media reports indicate that this is a complete reversal of his previous statements that Ukraine could not win the war. Earlier this year, Trump repeatedly demanded that Zelenskyy make concessions on territorial issues.

Regarding Trump's remarks, Russian President's press secretary Peskov responded on the 24th, saying, "Russia is certainly not a tiger; the image of Russia is more often associated with a bear, and there is no such thing as a 'paper bear.'" Peskov also refuted Trump's description of Russia's economy, stating that Moscow "has maintained resilience and macroeconomic stability."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7555333803187667508/

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