Can Ukraine Win Back All of Its Territory Like Trump Says?

President Donald Trump shifted his rhetoric on the conflict in Ukraine on Tuesday and said that he believes Ukraine “is in a position to fight and WIN” all of its territory back, drawing media perspectives.

‘Bravo’ Trump: The New York Post Editorial Board (Right bias) commended Trump for “seeing the truth” that “the Russian bear” is “mangy” and suggested he should “give Kyiv what it needs to do the job.” The Post claimed the entire Russian economy “now relies almost entirely on war manufacturing and oil exports.” It concluded, “Now is the time to be decisive: Moscow is on its back heel; an end to this war is within reach. Ukrainians can land the final blow – and Trump can help them do it.”

‘Unlikely’ Outcome: An opinion by Dan Sabbagh published by The Guardian (Left) cast doubt on Ukraine’s ability to successfully claim back its territory. It cited failed counteroffensives in the past and suggested Trump’s rhetoric is more about selling weapons to Europe than providing physical support to Ukraine. Sabbagh noted that Ukraine previously “acknowledged that it cannot win back lands conquered by Russia through military means” and concluded that militarily it can only achieve victory with “the direct involvement of Nato air power” or “a Russian collapse,” both of which he described as unlikely.

‘Impulsive’ Remarks: In an opinion for UnHerd (Center), Anatol Lieven argued that with the remarks, Trump “now appears to have carried out his repeated threats to ‘walk away’ from the Ukraine peace process.” Lieven said if Trump’s comments were premeditated and not “just impulsive… one might almost think that it was an encouragement to Ukraine to commit suicide and get it over with.” He added, “The only way Kyiv could recover territory would be if the United States went to war with Russia – something Donald Trump has no intention of doing.”

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission.