US President Donald Trump has reportedly signaled a possible shift in US policy toward Ukraine, telling President Volodymyr Zelensky during a private meeting this week that he was open to easing restrictions on Kyiv’s use of American-made long-range weapons. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Trump also delivered a wide-ranging address to world leaders.
According to The Wall Street Journal, both a senior US official and a Ukrainian official confirmed that Zelensky asked Trump for permission to deploy the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike inside Russian territory. The Trump administration had blocked such use since the spring, but the president did not dismiss the request outright.
“He did not commit to lifting the ban but also didn’t reject the idea,” one official said, suggesting Washington might soon allow Ukraine to reach deeper into Russia with US-supplied weapons.
During the same meeting, Zelensky went even further, requesting Tomahawk cruise missiles—long-range systems with the capability to hit targets between 900 and 1,500 miles away. Axios reported that the administration is actively considering the proposal, alongside other advanced weaponry.
Trump’s tone this week marked a sharp departure from previous remarks in which he appeared skeptical of Zelensky’s war strategy. Back in February, the president warned him, “you’re gambling with World War Three.” Yet on Wednesday, after his meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”
“After seeing the Economic trouble (the war) 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,” he added.
Such a position would represent a remarkable reversal for Trump, who had previously floated the idea that Kyiv should consider ceding territory to Moscow in order to negotiate peace. Retaking all of Ukraine’s land would mean forcing Russia out of about 20 percent of the country, including Crimea, which the Kremlin has occupied since 2014, according to a report by The Independent.
In his UN speech earlier in the day, Trump sharply criticized Vladimir Putin, saying, “It shows you what leadership is, what bad leadership can do to a country. The only question now is how many lives will be needlessly lost on both sides.”
If the White House ultimately grants Zelensky’s requests for long-range missiles, analysts according to The Independent, say it could dramatically alter the trajectory of the war, allowing Kyiv to hit targets far beyond the frontlines and deep inside Russian territory.
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