US President Donald Trump has insisted for over a year in private conversations with advisors that Ukraine would lose the war with Russia. But in recent weeks, he has expressed new optimism about Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and has been impressed by the resilience of Ukrainians, who are conducting combat operations deep inside Russian territory. This is reported by UNN citing The Wall Street Journal.
Details
This change occurred after several meetings on the sidelines of international summits, during which the Ukrainian president tried to win Trump's favor, sources said, as part of a coordinated campaign by European leaders aimed at improving relations.
According to one senior administration official, Trump loves winners — and Zelenskyy, in the US president's view, increasingly resembles one.
We have actually established good relations. Hard to believe, right?
At the beginning of his second term, Trump believed that Zelenskyy did not appreciate US aid, his advisors noted, and the tense relationship between the two leaders became publicly evident in front of television cameras during a meeting in the Oval Office in February 2025.
According to a senior administration official, Trump initially believed that the Russian armed forces would be able to defeat Ukraine. However, sources familiar with his views report that Trump now views Putin less favorably. Trump told Putin that he wants the war to end, citing heavy losses on both sides.
Trump's views on the war were also shaped through unconventional means. He was impressed by Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk during a meeting in the Oval Office last month before an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout at the White House. According to people familiar with the meeting, Usyk told Trump that Ukrainians are fighters and winners.
Reminder
US President Donald Trump stated that the United States has enough ammunition, following reports of concerns about stockpiles.