The President surprised global observers this week by reversing his stance on the conflict in Ukraine, now asserting that Kyiv could reclaim all Russian-occupied territory.
On Tuesday, he stated on social media, “I believe Ukraine, with the backing of the European Union, is capable of fighting and regaining all of its original territory.”
“Given time, patience, and financial aid from Europe and especially NATO, restoring the original pre-war borders is very much a possibility,” he further remarked. “Why shouldn’t it be?”
This view marks a significant change from his previous stance upon re-entering office, when he reportedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he “[didn’t] have the cards” to confront Russia and frequently implied that substantial compromises would be necessary to conclude the conflict.
“His strategy regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine has undergone a dramatic shift,” Yuriy Sak, a former defense advisor, informed Digital. “Hopefully, this change in his outlook will lead to greater cohesion within the Western alliance and stronger support for Ukraine.”
Reactions to the President’s altered stance were varied among leading security specialists; some perceived it as a favorable development, while others, such as former CIA Moscow station chief Dan Hoffman, contended that mere rhetoric would have minimal impact on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Having spent years attempting to understand the world through Vladimir Putin’s distorted KGB perspective, it’s clear he has no regard for words,” Hoffman stated. “He believes he can weaponize them against us.”
“We failed to deter him from military threats against Poland, Estonia, Copenhagen, and Norway – neither the United States nor NATO succeeded. He carried out these actions,” Hoffman added, referencing airspace breaches involving Russian drones and fighter jets over NATO countries that have taken place since the President re-entered the White House.
“He aims to demonstrate that the United States lacks the influence to prevent Russia from menacing NATO members in Eastern Europe,” the expert on Russian security asserted. “He intends to convey to Ukraine that the United States is unable to project power in that region. His strategy is to tell Ukraine, ‘you shouldn’t depend on the United States, cease fighting, we will defeat you regardless, we will exhaust you.’”
The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed the President’s remarks, indicating he was “mistaken” in his evaluation of the war’s progress.
“The situation on the front lines speaks for itself,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reportedly told journalists.
Since early 2024, Russia has achieved minimal to no significant territorial gains. While some minor progress has been made this year, the front lines have largely been static for the past year and a half.
Hoffman contended that for the U.S. to see Ukraine make progress, it must remove all existing strike limitations and swiftly implement secondary sanctions, instead of awaiting Europe’s concurrent action, which would take months to deplete Russia’s military funds.
Washington should also contemplate pressuring NATO allies, such as Germany, to supply Ukraine with long-range strike missiles, and Denmark to block the Danish Strait to Russia’s shadow fleet. Additionally, it should urge the President’s allies, like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, to cease hindering efforts.
Although Hoffman maintained that significant steps are still required before Putin truly reconsiders his military operations in Ukraine, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė described the president’s change of heart as “very encouraging.”
“I fully concur with the assertion that Ukraine unquestionably has the right and opportunity, with our complete support, to reclaim its original, internationally recognized borders,” she informed Digital. “Why shouldn’t it?”
Šakalienė reiterated Hoffman’s point, stating that Ukraine requires adequate support to effectively resist Russia. Without increased backing from the U.S. and allied support, Ukraine will not only struggle to advance on the battlefield, but Russia will also persist in threatening NATO, thereby elevating the danger of a widespread international conflict.
“The sole impediment would be our apprehension—our failure to uphold the global rules we inhabit,” she remarked. “The recent string of events, including drone-related incidents in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, as well as incursions into our airspace by Russian fighter jets, repeatedly illustrate Russia’s disregard for established norms.”
“This behavior will persist and intensify, as they believe they are immune to punishment and untouchable, which emboldens them to challenge NATO,” Šakalienė added.
All three security specialists concurred that the U.S. plays a “critical” role in confronting Putin, and the notion of the U.S. deferring to Europe undermines the unified stance required to counter aggression effectively.
“The present global security framework is centered on the United States,” Šakalienė explained, asserting that this system should not be exploited but rather bolstered by Europe strengthening its own military capacities. “Furthermore, the United States’ voice remains crucial for key decisions concerning the security of the democratic world.”
“And it is the voice of the United States that Russia perceives most clearly,” she concluded.
On Tuesday, the President proposed that Ukraine should not only recapture Russian-occupied territory but “perhaps even advance beyond that.”
Sak countered this by stating that Ukraine assesses the situation through a “realistic” lens.
“We have never harbored ambitions to seize Russian land. We do not require it,” Sak declared. “We merely desire their departure from our territory.”
“We recognize that, at this juncture, even this goal cannot be realized solely through military action,” he elaborated. “It will necessitate a combination of diplomatic efforts and will likely be a protracted process.”
Ultimately, Ukraine interpreted the President’s comments not as an indication of immediate U.S. intervention, but instead as “confirmation” that he fully supports Ukraine and aligns with the NATO alliance.
“Standing in solidarity with Ukraine’s European partners… this in itself poses a significant threat to Russia,” Sak asserted. “They are aware of this, and it once again conveys the message that this is an unwinnable conflict for them.
“Eventually, once we cripple their economy through a combination of sanctions and the daily deep strike drone operations, Russia will find itself unable to sustain this war and continue these acts of aggression, purely due to economic constraints, despite their desire to do so,” Sak concluded.