US President Donald Trump has unexpectedly declared that Ukraine is capable of regaining all the territories lost since 2014 and defeating the Russian army. These words were a sharp U-turn after years of doubts and repeated Kremlin theses that Kyiv would never restore its borders.
Military commentator Hamish de Bretton-Gordon wrote about this in a column for The Telegraph. He noted that the main question now is whether Trump will back up his statements with action or change course again.
The author emphasized that Trump used the Chinese term “paper tiger” to refer to Russia, referring to a force that appears threatening but is actually helpless. In his opinion, this is an ironic description, given the closeness of the Kremlin and Beijing.
The columnist explained that for Ukraine to win, specific steps are needed from the US and Europe. First of all, the creation of a no-fly zone at least over the western part of the country to protect civilian objects. This would allow Ukraine to concentrate air defense forces in the east and strengthen offensive operations.
In addition, Trump should insist on transferring significantly more long-range precision missiles to Kyiv, as well as lifting restrictions on strikes deep into Russian territory. This, the columnist believes, would significantly increase the effectiveness of Ukrainian strategic attacks.
Equally important is the full range of sanctions against Moscow. “It is not enough to just threaten – sanctions must be implemented,” Bretton-Gordon stressed.
According to him, if Europe and the United States really want to help Ukraine win, they must be ready to go all out: from protecting Ukrainian cities from the air to quickly responding to any Russian provocations. Otherwise, all the rhetoric will turn into “empty chatter” that will only embolden Putin.
The columnist concluded: Ukraine will be able to win only if Trump's position remains unchanged and NATO takes decisive action. If the US president changes his mind again, the war could drag on for decades.
