For your amusement:
The US president signals he has shifted his stance on the war, and says Russia is "fighting aimlessly".
www.bbc.co.uk
20:25
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Trump sits in front of Ukrainian and US flags
IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS
No, Donald Trump’s Truth Social account did not get hacked.
You might be forgiven if that was your first thought after the US president posted that he now believes Ukraine is fully capable of winning back all of its lost territory in its war against Russian "with time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, Nato".
"Why not," he asks.
Trump's statement represents a remarkable about-face after he spent most of the year insisting that Ukraine's situation was dire – that the nation's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, just didn’t have "the cards" to prevail against a larger, more populous nation in a war of attrition.
Unpredictability has long been one of Trump's foreign policy trademarks, and perhaps this latest move is an attempt to shake up peace negotiations that have been stagnant for more than a month after Trump literally rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit in Alaska.
The most notable portion of Trump's post may be the way it ended – with an assurance that the US would continue to sell arms to Nato that it could then pass along to Ukraine.
It’s not the seemingly near open-ended commitment to the war effort that the Biden administration provided, but it's more than Trump seemed interested in offering at times this year.
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'With time, with patience... why not?'
published at 20:18
20:18
We can bring you more of Donald Trump's 280-word post now, which - as we mentioned previously - appears to mark a major change in his position on Ukraine.
"After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it 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," Trump writes.
"With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, Nato, the original borders from where this war started, is very much an option. Why not?"
He says Russia has been "fighting aimlessly" for three-and-a half-years, in a war he says should have taken "less than a week to win".
He adds: "This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like 'a paper tiger'."
He says Vladimir Putin and Russia are "in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act".
Trump concludes his post by wishing both countries well, but adds that the US will "continue to supply weapons to Nato for Nato to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!"
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Trump says Ukraine could win back all of its territory
published at 20:10
20:10
BREAKING
Donald Trump has just signalled what appears to be a major shift in his position on the Ukraine war - and what might happen if and when the fighting ends.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, he says: "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."
We'll bring you more on this shortly.
www.salon.com
