Zelenskyy Welcomes Trump’s U-Turn on Ukraine, Credits Putin’s “Lies” for Closer Ties

• By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Kyiv
• Sep 24, 2025
• 586

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said he was “surprised” by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent reversal on the Russia–Ukraine war but noted that Kyiv’s relations with Washington are now “better than before.”

In an interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated attempts to mislead Trump had, ironically, drawn the U.S. and Ukraine closer.

“It’s good that we have often [had] phone calls and meetings, and the fact that Putin was lying to President Trump so many times also made a difference between us,” Zelenskyy remarked.

 

He added that intelligence coordination between Kyiv and Washington has strengthened significantly, calling it critical for battlefield decision-making.

Trump’s shift came in a Truth Social post where he declared that Ukraine, backed by NATO and EU financing, could restore all of its territory lost to Russia — a stark change from last month when he floated the idea of Ukraine ceding land for peace.

“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,” Trump wrote, calling Russia a “paper tiger” after three-and-a-half years of inconclusive fighting.

 

Trump went further, suggesting Ukraine might even push beyond its pre-war borders. He pledged to continue supplying weapons to NATO, leaving distribution to the alliance:

“We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!”

 

Despite his attempts to broker a settlement, Trump admitted frustration with Putin’s unwillingness to compromise. Meanwhile, Russia continues to make incremental advances, seizing an estimated 170–215 square miles of territory per month since May, according to battlefield tracker DeepState.