Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck a triumphant tone on Monday at the UN General Assembly following U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden reversal on Ukraine policy. After months of pushing for negotiations with Moscow, Trump declared that he now believes Ukraine can win and pledged to continue supplying Kyiv with weapons through NATO.
The shift came after a bilateral meeting between Trump and Zelensky in New York. Hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social, signaling his support. Zelensky, speaking to reporters afterward, did not hide his satisfaction.
“Trump used to rely on Putin for information. Now he relies on me and our intelligence,” Zelensky said. “Putin shared information with Trump that was far from the truth.”
He added that Trump is now a “game changer” and “closer to Ukraine than ever before,” while emphasizing that his personal relationship with the U.S. president has improved dramatically.
The development marks a striking turnaround just seven months after Zelensky’s tense Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. At that time, Zelensky faced skepticism in Washington and struggled to keep U.S. aid flowing. Now, he believes Trump is fully committed to Ukraine’s original war aims — retaking all pre-2014 territory, including Crimea.
It remains unclear whether Trump’s policy shift will change the type or scale of weapons supplied to Ukraine. However, the announcement effectively ends the peace initiative Trump launched in February, signaling that the conflict is set to continue until one side achieves outright victory — a return to the posture of the Biden years.
Zelensky’s win is especially notable given his poor standing among many Republicans and Trump’s MAGA base. Yet observers note that Trump is often swayed by those he meets most recently. His meetings with Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in New York may have played a role in shaping his latest stance.