Trump's Ukraine Shift
Donald Trump Shifts Stance, Praising Zelenskyy and Supporting Increased Russia Sanctions
President Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "courageous" and said he is "holding his own" in the war against Russia, marking a sharp shift in tone from the White House. Kyiv Post reported the remarks came on June 25 from the Oval Office, as Ukraine's military intensified long-range strikes deep inside Russia and occupied Crimea.
The pivot comes just days after the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where Trump agreed to let emergency Russian oil sanctions waivers expire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov quickly accused Washington of abandoning its role as a neutral peace broker, according to The Straits Times.
Ukraine Strikes Knock Out Power Across Crimea
Ukraine launched massive drone and missile strikes on occupied Crimea between June 21 and 23. The attacks hit the Kerch Power Plant and key railway lines. According to TVP World, the strikes knocked out power to 50% of the entire Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine also struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in the Kapotnya district for the second time in one week on June 18. UATV reported the strike paralyzed 35% of the Russian capital's fuel market. Russia fired back with 101 drones at Ukraine on June 23, but Ukrainian forces shot down 95 of them, according to Taipei Times.
Trump's Praise for Zelenskyy Signals a Real Policy Shift
Trump's change in tone is striking. Earlier in his second term, he questioned whether Ukraine had the "cards" to win. Now he is calling Zelenskyy's forces fighters with "great equipment" and "great men," according to Al Arabiya. Trump also met privately with Zelenskyy at the G7 summit on June 15, according to France 24.
Analysts point to Trump's Iran deal as a key reason for the shift. With the Persian Gulf conflict moving into the "rearview mirror," Ukraine is back at the top of his foreign policy agenda, PBS reported. Trump said Russian oil sanctions "can go back in place as more oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz."
Russia Accuses Washington of Breaking Earlier Promises
Lavrov did not hold back. He said the U.S. appears to be "abandoning any claim to the role of an objective mediator" and is instead pushing to escalate sanctions pressure, according to The Straits Times. The Kremlin had expected the oil waivers, first granted in March 2026, to become permanent after a U.S.-Iran deal.
Moscow points to the "Spirit of Anchorage" — informal understandings from an Alaska summit between Trump and Putin on August 15, 2025. Russia saw those talks as a path to a frozen conflict where Ukraine would give up parts of the Donbas, according to The Independent. Kremlin officials now frame the U.S. pivot as a "ploy to rearm the Kyiv regime."
NATO Summit in July Could Lock In Western Support
European leaders are moving fast to capitalize on the shift. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe's support for Ukraine is "not wavering," according to The Guardian. Leaders are already pushing for Patriot missile production licenses inside Europe ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, Turkey.
Zelenskyy said at the G7 that "the entire Seven supports Ukraine unanimously" and accused Russia of "toying with world leaders," according to PBS. Military analysts told CNBC that Ukraine's deep-strike campaign is designed to trigger a fuel and energy crisis inside Russia, forcing Moscow to the negotiating table on Kyiv's terms.
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