Russia a ‘paper tiger’: How Trump changed his position on Ukraine, NATO

In a dramatic change from his earlier claim that both sides will have to cede land to end the war, President Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine can win back its territory that Russia has captured since the start of the conflict in Ukraine with the support of the European Union and NATO.

What Trump is currently saying and how his position has changed, let’s take a closer look.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

What has Trump said this week about Ukraine?

Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Trump said, “I think Ukraine is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form. ”

Trump even mentioned NATO, which he has frequently criticized in the past, saying that the original Borders, or NATO, which was supported by Europe and in particular NATO, are very much possible. ”

Russia, he claimed, has been engaged in “aimlessly” and resembles a “paper tiger,” was another target. A paper tiger is a person or thing that appears intimidating but is not particularly dangerous.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which it called a “special military operation,” the conflict has raged there.

According to Trump, a “Real Military Power” would have needed less than a week to win the war.

Ukraine could regain its country in its original form, and who knows, it might even go further! Putin and Russia are currently facing serious economic difficulties, and Ukraine should act right away. ”

Trump ended his post by saying, “I wish both countries well in any case. NATO will continue to receive weapons from us so they can use them however they please. Good luck to everyone! ”

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to President Trump for his ongoing cooperation with the US in a post on X. Mr. President is well-versed in all aspects of this conflict and has a clear understanding of the situation. His resolve to end this war is highly valued by us. ”

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated on Wednesday that Russia would continue to pursue its war goals in Ukraine in order to protect our interests and advance objectives.

Peskov stated in an interview with RBC radio in Russia that “we are doing this for both our country’s future and the present.” for the future generations. We therefore have no choice. ”

What changes has Trump’s position on Ukraine brought about?

What Trump has said about Ukraine’s position in other statements this year:

You don’t have the cards, says the statement from February 2025.

Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, were criticized for not showing enough “gratitude” to the US for its assistance when the two leaders met at the Oval Office in February.

Trump also made the suggestion that Ukraine would have to renounce its territory if the conflict were to end. You must be thankful, he told Zelenskyy. The cards are not yours. You are buried there. Your people are euthanizing. You have a shortage of soldiers. ”

He claimed that Zelenskyy was given the power to be a “tough guy” by the US and that he was gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling on World War III.

In a social media post following the Oval Office meeting, Trump wrote, “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace.”

There will be land swapping in August 2025.

Then, on August 11, Trump stated that both Russia and Ukraine would have to cede territory in order for the war to end before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss it.

The US president claimed that his upcoming discussions with Putin in Alaska would be a “feel-out meeting” to find out whether he was ready to agree to a deal, something he claimed he would be able to find in two minutes.

Trump told reporters, “There will be some land swapping going on.” He claimed that Russia had seized some of Ukraine’s “very prime territory” and that it would “try to reclaim some of that territory.”

In the same day, Selenskyy claimed in an X post that it would be bad to give Russia land.

The Ukrainian president wrote, adding that “concessions do not persuade a killer” and that Russia does not deserve any rewards or benefits from stopping the killings. ”

In the end, Putin refused to abide by any kind of peace agreement as Trump had hoped.

(Al Jazeera)

What area of Ukraine has Russia seized?

Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia are the official territories of Russia’s annexation of four eastern and southern Ukrainian provinces during the war.

Eastern Ukraine’s Donestsk and Luhansk are collectively known as the “Donbass region.” Luhansk and a portion of Donetsk are under Russian rule. In Donetsk, Ukraine is in charge of the areas around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, both of which are located nearby.

The Donbass region is a highly industrialized and agricultural hub. The port of Mariupol, which has access to the Black Sea, is also nearby.

About 75% of Kherson and Zaporizhia, both of which have a large nuclear power plant and steel-, aluminum, and other industrial areas, are produced there.

INTERACTIVE-WHO CONTROLS WHAT IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE-1758439104

INTERACTIVE-WHO CONTROLS WHAT IN EASTERN UKRAINE copy-1758439091

Trump’s position has changed, but why?

According to experts, Trump’s change of words might not correspond to a change in Washington’s strategy.

Some view his new position as a covert threat to re-engage Putin’s negotiations. Trump also appeared to be in favor of a robust NATO response when he spoke to reporters at the General Assembly in response to recent Russian drone incursions into NATO members’ airspace.

When asked if he thought NATO nations should shoot down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace, he responded, “Yes, I do.” ”

However, some people claimed that his remarks were likely to be less specific. Trump reflects the perspective of the very first person he has spoken to, according to Keir Giles, an expert on Eurasia at Chatham House in London.

When anyone who supports Russia’s outcomes for Europe next speaks to Trump, he will change his mind. ”

Giles claimed that Trump frequently uses terms interchangeably and changes his stance.

Israel kills teen in Jenin raid as it pushes West Bank annexation plan

As Israel moves to annex the occupied West Bank in less than two days, Israeli forces killed a 19-year-old youth during a raid near Jenin. This is the second fatality in the area in the last two days.

The military claimed that Ahmed Jihad Barahmeh’s forces shot him after he “threw an explosive device” at them on Wednesday in the town of Anzah, and that he had been killed by them.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

A Palestine Red Crescent Society employee reportedly shot the victim in the chest, but the victim later passed away from his injuries.

Saeed Murad al-Nasan, 20, was killed by armed settlers in the village of al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, according to Al Jazeera Arabic on Tuesday.

Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, Israeli forces have been conducting near-daily raids in the West Bank, with a sharp rise in violence this month as a result of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s request to annex the area.

In the occupied West Bank, more than 1, 000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel started its genocidal war.

Israeli settlers have also been encouraged to engage in impunity-based violence against and burn property and olive groves in Palestinian communities. Palestinians have hardly ever, if ever, access to legal options.

According to the Wafa news agency, two Israeli settlers on Wednesday attacked the mayor of Beita, a Palestinian town close to Nablus in the West Bank. Mahmoud Barham and a municipal official were attacked by the settlers, who left both men strewn in their cars.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 540 Palestinians have been injured in Israeli settlers’ attacks this year in the West Bank.

Palestinian-Canadian human rights lawyer Diana Buttu claimed that the international community should intervene to put an end to Israel’s violence and that the situation was “getting worse.”

She claimed that Israel’s illegal settlement program, which included the fragmentation of Palestinian land, effectively ended the two-state solution.

She said, “It’s not enough to condemn; it’s now time for the world to be active,” and that she should urge other nations to follow up with arms embargoes against Israel in response to the recent wave of recognition of the state of Palestine.

Israel mandated the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge, the only means of communication between Jordan and the West Bank, for the duration of its ongoing raids.

Left-leaning Knesset member Aida Touma-Sliman accused Israel of demanding “petty revenge” from numerous nations that supported a Palestinian state and of blatantly deceiving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Netanyahu threatens further steps in the near future. She said on X, “The nations of the world who finally recognized the danger of the transfer and extermination government must immediately halt Netanyahu’s destructive and devastating policies.

What must change to reverse fortunes at Aberdeen?

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin said after defeat by Dundee United he needs to “find answers quickly” to arrest an alarming start to the season.

The club are rooted to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership after four defeats in five games, all without scoring a goal.

Add to that a meek League Cup exit against Motherwell and some fans are already starting to turn against their Scottish Cup-winning manager.

With a re-match with impressive Motherwell at Fir Park up next on Saturday, Thelin needs solutions to fix his ailing side.

Should Thelin change formation?

Thelin has stuck rigidly to a 4-2-3-1 system since arriving in Scotland last summer, except for one famous exception.

The Swede switched to a 5-3-2 for the Scottish Cup final against Celtic, succesfully stymying Brendan Rodgers’ side before triumphing on penalties.

There has been absolutely no sign Thelin is thinking of going with that formation again, but could it help?

Having another striker to support Kevin Nisbet might spark their stilted attack into life, because they have scored the fewest goals of any side to have played in the Premiership this season and last.

Given Aberdeen’s recruitment of wingers and their importance to Thelin, 4-4-2 might be a more likely option to change it up.

Or even just playing a more traditional 4-3-3 to get more midfielders further forward and reduce the reliance on a number 10.

Former Aberdeen captain Willie Miller, though, feels it is unlikely Thelin will mix things up in that way.

“That [formation] is his identity,” he said on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound.

“What he needs to do, and I think what he will do, is stick with it and try to get the right personnel in there. I don’t tink he has [got the right personnel].

Time for fresh legs in midfield?

Many observers believe the heart of Aberdeen’s problems are coming from midfield.

Sivert Heltne Nilsen was back in the starting XI to play Dundee United, and is often the focus of supporters’ ire.

He is viewed as Thelin’s key lieutenant, because of his experience and knowledge of the manager’s methods from their time at Elfsborg.

However, with Aberdeen’s performances lacking intensity – a point Thelin has repeatedly made – and the fact they have lost more challenges than any other side since the start of last season, Nilsen’s selection is a point of serious contention.

That is principally due to the 33-year-old’s lack of mobility across the pitch.

Thelin has insisted Nilsen sets standards in training, but whether it is a lack of legs, poor distances between players, or low confidence, Aberdeen’s midfield is toiling.

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Thelin has only started both Nilsen and Shinnie in midfield twice this season, but at least one of them has been in the middle of the pitch for every game, except the home defeat by Falkirk.

That performance was arguably Aberdeen’s most encouraging in attack in the league, before Nicky Devlin was sent off and they slipped to defeat.

“I can understand why he’s played Sivert Nilsen in there and why he has played Shinnie in there,” Miller added on Sportsound.

“But they are the wrong side of 30 and it’s looking like they need more energy in that area. I didn’t see an awful lot of energy or creativity.”

The problem for Thelin is, apart from 33-year-old Stuart Armstrong, whom he singled out for praise at Tannadice, others are not exactly putting their hand up and demanding to be picked when they do get a chance.

Dante Polvara has performed better when coming off the bench, while Leighton Clarkson – Aberdeen’s most creative midfielder – was left out altogether and has started two games all season.

Lack of intensity problem for ‘tense’ Aberdeen

Thelin has spoken about the need for “intensity” before just about every game this season, yet when his team take to the pitch there is a distinct lack of it.

The Swede used the words “tense” and “stiff” to describe the 2-0 loss to United.

That is understandable amid fan anger and pressure amid a run of five league wins in 32 games, but that is not the only explanation.

Aberdeen have brought in 24 players in the last three transfer windows and have made more changes to their starting line-up in the Premiership than anyone other than Celtic or Rangers since the start of last season.

It is clear, then, Thelin is still getting to grips with his best team, and as a result there have been no reliable combinations formed all over the pitch.

Only Shinnie and Topi Keskinen have started more than three quarters of Thelin’s league games, while Slobodan Rubezic is the centre-back with the most Premiership starts (20) despite being loaned out in February and subsequently departing.

The team are crying out for consistency and stability across the pitch to ease help settle the tension.

Thelin says he needs to find the solutions that other managers, such as his opposite number on Saturday Jens Berthel Askou, have found in short order.

And with pressure from fans ratcheting up with every defeat, time is against him.

Get in touch

Related topics

  • Aberdeen
  • Scottish Premiership
  • Scottish Football
  • Football

Game of Thrones legend Sean Bean turns people’s hero as he leads fight against council

Sean Bean, the star of the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, is praised as a local hero as he spearheads a campaign to deter development plans for greenbelts.

Sean Bean has become a local hero after taking over “valiant and impassioned campaign” to save greenbelt land from development plans after the original campaign leader tragically died.

The Game of Thrones star, 66, has joined forces with other local residents of Handsworth, Sheffield, as part of the ‘Save S13 Greenbelt – The Sapphire McCarthy campaign’. Together, they seek to halt the plans of the local council to build 1638 homes in two areas of greenbelt land.

Sapphire was concerned that the proposed scheme would sagutter her “dream views” when she launched the campaign. Sean paid tribute to her and praised the “valiant and impassioned campaign” after her sadly passing away at the age of 39.

The campaigners claim that a significant development in Waverley’s immediate vicinity has already rendered health services and schools in jeopardy because of the increased pollution and overcrowding of the local infrastructure.

After raising £10, 000 to help with the housing plans challenge, Sean praised the community’s efforts and unity. He claimed that, despite receiving hundreds of objections and no assistance from the council, “MP Clive Betts has been the only source of assistance,” according to the Daily Mail.

It is amazing how the residents have come together and how they have managed to cram all this armor around them in such a short amount of time, and shows that we mean business. We are not letting that go. We won’t stop, and we will carry this out.

He noted that his own childhood love for the greenbelt and that the green areas designated for development have a significant impact on residents’ mental health.

The actor said, “I grew up in that area, and all of my friends and families from that area, which was the heart and heart of the area where we explored the countryside, laughed at, and played games, were very important to me. Because it is the only greenery in the area, it has long been a draw for children to grow up and encounter wildlife; it has since been a blessing to Handsworth and the surrounding communities. If we lost it, it would be devastating.

If you don’t have that space around you mentally and psychologically, it’s harmful because you become isolated, blinkered, and very claustrophobic, according to the saying “you have to have greenery, it’s calming influence, good for your health, and good for your mind.”

Sean continued, “The people’s land is their land.” What will the council do if they just flog it and keep the money? The council owns it, though. Then, it will be gone; they will have some of the money while we have nothing. He compared the area to Wimbledon Common in London and Central Park in New York, both of which are renowned for their advantages for both mental and physical health.

Cheryl Hague, a different campaigner, stated: “We are delighted to have Sean’s support on this important campaign and will continue this fight with the planning inspector meetings that will be held next week.

The planning inspectors of the government now have to decide whether the housing development plans are fair and robust after the Sheffield City Council voted through them in May. On Monday (September 29), a hearing will take a decision. 1.5 million homes have been promised by the Labour government.

According to the latest official statistics, homelessness in England is at a record high, with the number of rough sleepers increasing by 20% in just a year. Analysis from the Financial Times showed that one in every 200 households in the UK is experiencing homelessness, placing this country at the top of the global league of table for highest rate of homelessness.

The government also pledged to prioritise social and affordable housing plans, and promised to build 300,000 homes as part of what former housing secretary Angela Rayner called the “social rent revolution”. Social housing schemes are designed to build properties that can help alleviate homelessness by ensuring such housing is genuinely affordable and linked to local incomes.

It is unknown if the S13 greenbelt developments are part of this pledge, but the council are part of a coalition calling for a “green and decent homes programme”. In May, they said the coalition believes England’s council housing needs to be modernised and more funding for new council homes should be put in place.

Continue reading the article.