AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
Donald Trump appears to have shifted his stance on Ukraine, now suggesting they should reclaim their territory, a contrast to his earlier pessimism. Possible reasons include revised military assessments portraying Russia as weak and the impact of sanctions on the Kremlin. His recent meeting with Zelensky, who promised “good news” from the front, may have also influenced him. However, the feasibility of Ukraine regaining territory without increased Western support remains questionable, potentially leading to prolonged conflict. Trump hasn’t detailed how a negotiated settlement could be achieved quickly.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
What’s behind Trump’s shift on Ukraine?published at 21:12 BST 23 September
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from New York
Just a few short months ago, I stood in the Oval Office and
posed a question to Trump: what did he think that the map of Ukraine will look
like once the fighting stops?
His answer was pessimistic. He told reporters that he
believed that Ukraine’s government “isn’t going to get” some of its
lost territories back.
His Truth Social post is something of a U-turn, and it is
unclear what has prompted him to change his assessment. But we do have clues.
For one, it is apparent that the military assessments he is
getting – whether from the US, Ukraine, or both – suggest, in his view, that
Russia is a “paper tiger” that is unable to sustain the conflict in
the long-term.
It may also be that he believes sanctions on Russia and the
threat of more sanctions is beginning to bite in the Kremlin.
“Let them get their land back,” he said of
Ukraine.
The timing is also notable, given that his post came shortly
after meeting Zelensky, who said that he would brief Trump on “good
news” from the war front. It is possible that swayed him.
It remains unclear, however, whether Ukraine can
successfully take back that territory without significantly more US and Nato
support.
Even if it gets that, retrieving that territory would likely
be a long and costly affair, contributing further to the bloodshed that Trump
says he hopes to stop.
On the other hand, Trump throughout the course of the day
has not provided details on how any negotiated settlement might actually play
out in the near-term.
