Ukrainians have reacted with caution to Donald Trump’s sudden shift on their prospects in the war with Russia after he said Kyiv could win and reclaim land seized by Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea, saying there are no ‘paper bears’ and that Russia is a real bear.

Responses in Kyiv were mixed. Some hoped the comments would be backed by concrete aid from Washington, while others warned that Trump’s unpredictability could complicate support. Olha Voronina, a 66-year-old Kyiv resident, said Ukraine needed continued US backing; Volodymyr Cheslavskyi, a 48-year-old soldier recovering from a war wound, questioned Trump’s consistency; Anna Khudimova, 43, believed Kyiv could prevail on the battlefield with Nato and European help.

Russia has occupied around 20% of Ukraine since it annexed Crimea in 2014, and the all-out invasion began in February 2022. In speeches at the UN and on social media, Trump criticised Vladimir Putin’s leadership, questioned Russia’s military capacity and urged Nato to shoot down Russian warplanes entering alliance airspace. He has previously tempered his stance toward Ukraine, reversing the US policy of isolating Russia upon taking office, and he has said Ukraine would not join Nato and that Zelensky would need to trade land for a peace deal. A Ukrainian legislator said the remarks were unexpected but potentially significant if sanctions promised earlier are fulfilled.