Since launching his 2024 campaign to retake the White House, newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, suggesting that he would pressure both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations.
While never providing concrete details, Trump has hinted that his approach would involve cutting US military aid to Ukraine, leveraging economic deals or NATO membership, and giving Putin unspecified “incentives” to withdraw. Critics have pointed out that Trump has long expressed admiration for Putin and that his transactional approach could involve forcing Ukraine to accept territorial concessions.
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He has appointed retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as a special envoy to broker a peace deal within the first 100 days of his presidency. In April 2024, Kellogg co-authored a peace proposal that included establishing a ceasefire along the current front lines, pressuring both Russia and Ukraine to commence negotiations, and continuing US military aid to Ukraine contingent upon its participation in peace talks and postponing NATO membership ambitions.
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Trump has also repeatedly downplayed the importance of Ukraine’s sovereignty in comparison to his broader goals of reducing US involvement in the war and focusing on domestic economic concerns. His insistence that a deal must happen quickly, regardless of conditions on the battlefield, has raised concerns among US allies that his approach may undermine Ukraine’s long-term security and embolden Russian aggression.
Although the diplomatic or policy consequences of his statements over the last few days have not always been clear, they indicate that the newly installed president plans on pushing through some sort of agreement between Zelensky and Putin within the first few months – whether both parties want to or not.
Trump’s first Ukraine comments as president
Here are some of Trump’s most notable quotes about the war in Ukraine since Monday:
- Comments to reporters (Jan. 20, 2025): “He should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal. I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble. You take a look at their economy. You take a look at the inflation in Russia.”
- Comments to reporters (Jan. 20, 2025): “I got along with [Putin] great. I would hope he wants to make a deal.”
- More comments to reporters (Jan. 20, 2025): “From what I hear, Putin would like to see me, and we’ll leave as soon as we can. I’d meet immediately… Every day we don’t meet, soldiers are being killed in the battlefield.”
- Truth Social post (Jan. 22, 2025): “I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin.”
- Truth Social post (Jan. 22, 2025): “Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States.”
- Truth Social post (Jan. 22, 2025): “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
- World Economic Forum in Davos (Jan. 23, 2025): “I’m also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil… If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately. Right now, the price is high enough that that war will continue. You’ve got to bring down the oil price. You’re going to end that war.”
- World Economic Forum in Davos (Jan. 23, 2025): “As we restore common sense in America, we’re moving quickly to bring back strength and peace and stability abroad. I’m also going to ask all NATO nations to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, which is what it should have been years ago.”
- World Economic Forum in Davos (Jan. 23, 2025): “Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now hopefully underway. It’s so important to get that done.”
- World Economic Forum in Davos (Jan. 23, 2025): “I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon to get that war ended, and that’s not from the standpoint of economy or anything else. It’s from the standpoint of millions of lives are being wasted... It’s a carnage. And we really have to stop that war.”
Eager, determined, but still unclear
Trump’s statements over the past week suggest that he views the war in Ukraine as primarily an economic issue rather than a geopolitical or humanitarian problem. His repeated references to oil prices, inflation, and trade indicate that he believes financial pressure – rather than military support or diplomatic strategy – will be the key to ending the war.
His rhetoric about Putin, including his insistence that he “got along great” with the Russian president and his reluctance to criticize him directly, underlines that Trump sees himself as uniquely positioned to negotiate an end to the conflict through personal diplomacy rather than traditional alliances.
At the same time, Trump’s emphasis on NATO spending increases and his threats of tariffs and sanctions against Russia signal a willingness to use economic coercion – but in a way that aligns more with his “America First” worldview than with strengthening Ukraine’s defense. His framing of the war as a “carnage” that must end quickly – without specifying conditions favorable to Ukraine – raises questions about whether he would push for a settlement that forces Ukraine to make major concessions.
Trump’s recent remarks ultimately suggest that he remains committed to his campaign promise to end the war swiftly, but his lack of clear policy details and his continued praise of Putin leave open serious questions about what that resolution will look like and at whose expense it may come.
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