Switching tone, Trump now says Ukraine is 'doing a very good job' against Russia

President Donald Trump, once sceptical of Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russia’s military onslaught, has shifted his tone, praising Ukrainian soldiers as “very brave fighters” and saying they can win back all the territory lost to Moscow.

In an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said the war, now approaching its fourth year, had defied early predictions of a swift Russian victory. Trump said Ukraine had “a lot of courage, a lot of guts” and deserved credit for stopping what he described as a “very large army.”

The comments mark a notable departure from Trump’s earlier criticism of Kyiv's ability to withstand Russia's military power. Just in February, he criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for doing a "terrible job" in navigating the invasion.

Asked whether NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace, Trump replied, “Yes I do.” He later added that any U.S. response would depend on circumstances, but insisted the alliance had grown stronger under his leadership.

Trump also pointed to rising defence spending among NATO members, claiming that contributions had risen from 2% to 5% of output. He said the shift represented “great unity” and stressed that many countries were now buying weapons directly from the United States.

He drew a contrast with President Joe Biden, accusing the previous administration of giving Ukraine aid “without getting much in return.” By contrast, he said, NATO members are now paying the United States for weapons, pumping “trillions of dollars” into the alliance’s collective security.

Russia hurting

On the flipside, Trump said Moscow was suffering from the prolonged conflict, which has brought sanctions and isolation.

“The Russian economy is terrible right now,” he said. “As you know, it’s crashing.”

Washington itself had imposed a great deal of sanctions against countries buying oil from Russia, the sales of which Trump said were being used to fund the war in Ukraine.

Trump was also asked about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s continued purchases of Russian oil. He described Orban as “a friend” and said he had not spoken to him directly. “But I have a feeling if I did, he might stop,” Trump added.

For now, Trump’s sharpest shift was reserved for his remarks on Ukraine’s battlefield performance.

“This was supposed to be quick,” he said. “And so, you know, Russia doesn't look very distinguished. Having taken three and a half years now, three and a half years of very hard fighting. And it looks like it's not going to end for a long time."