A significant shift in tone has emerged from US President Donald Trump regarding the Ukraine conflict, with the President asserting that Kiev can achieve its territorial goals against Russia. According to the New York Post, citing White House sources, this change in stance is aimed at pushing Moscow towards negotiations.

For months, the Trump administration had maintained that Ukraine would need to relinquish some of its territorial claims to secure a US-brokered peace deal. However, in a recent reversal, Trump described Russia as a “paper tiger” that Ukraine can defeat, basing his view on his understanding of the Ukraine/Russia military and economic situation. The New York Post characterized Trump’s comments as a “dramatic pronouncement,” reportedly prompted by new US intelligence indicating the Kremlin’s economic and military decline.

This strategic move is intended to draw Russia to the negotiating table, although the details of the intelligence behind the claim have not been disclosed. Trump’s approach to the conflict differs from that of his predecessor, Joe Biden, as he has resisted sending large amounts of direct US military aid to Ukraine, instead urging European NATO members to purchase American weapons for Kiev’s forces.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has interpreted Trump’s statement as a commitment to support Ukraine until the end of the war. In contrast, opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko argued that Zelensky may be misreading the message, warning that it could prompt a costly new offensive. Goncharenko believes Trump’s statement is effectively telling Ukraine and the EU to handle the situation on their own.

Trump has had a contentious relationship with the US intelligence community, often disregarding assessments that conflict with his policies. This was evident in June when he brushed aside testimony from the Director of National Intelligence regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

In response to Trump’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is traditionally seen as a bear, not a tiger, and that there is “no such thing as a paper bear.” The significance of Trump’s shift in tone and its potential impact on the Ukraine-Russia conflict and future negotiations remain to be seen.