This decision marks the first time since the war began that the Trump administration will allow Ukraine to strike Russian targets with long-range missiles. However, US officials are still waiting for written instructions from the White House before they can share the required intelligence, one official told the WSJ. Throughout spring 2025, the Pentagon quietly prevented Ukraine from using US-made ATACMS to hit targets inside Russia, requiring case-by-case approval from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In a post on Truth Social, posted on September 23, 2025, the president said that Ukraine could reclaim all of its territory in its original state. In the same post, the president expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling Russia a “paper tiger” and said it has been fighting the war “aimlessly” for three and a half years.