President repeatedly said during his White House campaign that if he won the 2024 election, he would be able to end the 鈥渋n 24 hours.鈥� But in the 10 months since he took office, the road to a peace deal has been fraught with changing dynamics involving the American leader, Ukrainian President and Russian President .
Trump’s rhetoric toward both men has evolved. It continues to do so.
At the outset of his second term in January, Trump was conciliatory toward Putin, for whom he long has shown admiration. Over time, Trump expressed , while seemingly softening criticism of Zelenskyy after their February blowout in the Oval Office.
Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on Russia and he was suggesting by the fall that Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia. That was a dramatic shift from his repeated to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
By late November, Trump had endorsed a favorable to Russia. Some Democratic senators suggested the proposal was a 鈥渨ish list” that originated with Moscow and they had heard just that from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The State Department disputed it and Rubio insisted the plan was written by the United States. American allies in Europe nonetheless worried it was too conciliatory to Russia.
Trump had returned to slamming Zelenskyy in ways that recalled how Trump and Vice President JD Vance had hounded the Ukrainian leader out of the Oval Office months earlier. Trump was now suggesting Zelenskyy was not appearing grateful enough for years of U.S. military support. The Republican president also chided European countries for not doing more to put economic pressure on Russa.
Here is a look at what Trump has said this year and how his tone has changed:
Jan. 31
鈥淲e want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.鈥�
Trump said his new administration had already had with Russia and that he and Putin could soon take 鈥渟ignificant鈥� action toward ending the conflict.
Feb. 19
鈥淎 Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
on his Truth Social platform drew criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress, where defending Ukraine from Russian aggression has traditionally had bipartisan support. Zelenskyy said Trump was falling into a Russian disinformation trap. He was quickly admonished by Vance about the perils of publicly criticizing the new U.S. president.
Feb. 28
鈥淵ou鈥檙e gambling with World War III. And what you鈥檙e doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that鈥檚 backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.鈥�
Trump and Vance berated over the war, accusing him of not showing gratitude after he challenged Vance on the question of diplomacy with Putin. The argument in the Oval Office was It led to the rest of Zelenskyy鈥檚 being canceled and called into question the U.S. support of Ukraine. A few days after the blowup, to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy to seek peace.
March 30
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 going to go back on his word. You鈥檙e talking about Putin. I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 going to go back on his word. I鈥檝e known him for a long time. We鈥檝e always gotten along well.鈥�
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he trusted Putin to hold up his end of a potential peace deal.
April 24
鈥淚 am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!鈥�
In a Truth Social post, Trump reacted to Russia attacking Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. It was the first of his rare criticism of Putin as Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukraine.
April 29
“A lot of his people are dying. They鈥檙e being killed, and I feel very badly about it.鈥�
Trump addressed the toll on Ukrainians during an interview with ABC News after he met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral. It was the first time the two leaders had met since the Oval Office spat and it signaled a shift in Trump’s attitude toward the Ukrainian president.
May 25
鈥淚鈥檝e always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!鈥�
made it clear he was losing patience with Putin as and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles.
June 25
鈥淗e was very nice actually. We had a little rough times, sometimes. He was … Couldn鈥檛 have been nicer. I think he鈥檇 like to see an end to this, I do.鈥�
Trump had a closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy during a NATO summit in The Hague. Trump’s comments to reporters later also opened the possibility of sending to Ukraine.
July 8
鈥淲e get a lot of bull–鈥攖 thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He鈥檚 very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.鈥�
Trump also said he was 鈥渘ot happy鈥� with Putin and that the war was 鈥渒illing a lot of people鈥� on both sides. Trump’s comments during a Cabinet meeting came a day after he said the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine. It was a dramatic reversal after earlier announcing a pause in the delivery of to Kyiv, a decision that was made amid concerns that America鈥檚 .
July 13
鈥淚 am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. He鈥檒l talk so beautifully and then he鈥檒l bomb people at night. We don鈥檛 like that.鈥�
Trump’s remarks to reporters came as Russia has
July 14
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to say he鈥檚 an assassin, but he鈥檚 a tough guy. It鈥檚 been proven over the years. He鈥檚 fooled a lot of people before.鈥�
Trump pushed harder against Putin during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump said if there was no deal to end the war within 50 days, the U.S. would impose 鈥渟econdary tariffs,鈥� meaning taxes would target Russia鈥檚 trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow.
Trump and Rutte also discussed a rejuvenated pipeline for U.S. weapons. and then transfer it to Ukraine.
Aug. 15
“There鈥檚 no deal until there鈥檚 a deal.”
Trump from Putin during a summit in Alaska even after for the man who started the war.
Trump had wanted to show off his deal-making skills. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage after years of Western efforts to make Putin a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional U.S. sanctions.
Sept. 23
鈥淩ussia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’ 鈥�
Trump posted on social media soon after meeting with Zelenskyy on the gathering of world leaders.
He also said he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a departure from that Ukraine would never be able to reclaim all the territory that Russia has occupied since it seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Oct. 17
鈥淪top the war immediately.鈥�
After Zelenskyy at the White House, Trump implied that Moscow should be allowed keep territory it has taken from Kyiv if doing so could help end the conflict more quickly.
鈥淵ou go by the battle line wherever it is 鈥� otherwise it鈥檚 too complicated,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淵ou stop at the battle line and both sides should go home, go to their families, stop the killing, and that should be it.鈥�
Trump had a the day before Zelenskyy arrived and announced he soon planned to meet with Putin in Hungary. That meeting never materialized, in part because of a lack of progress on ending the war.
Trump also signaled to that the U.S. would not be selling Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles, which the Ukrainians believed could be a game changer in helping prod Putin to the negotiating table.
Oct. 22
鈥淗opefully he鈥檒l become reasonable.鈥�
Trump made the comment suggesting Putin could be more favorable to a peace agreement after the Treasury Department announced against Russia鈥檚 two biggest oil companies and their subsidiaries. But Trump added, 鈥淎nd, hopefully Zelenskyy will be reasonable, too. You know, it takes two to tango, as they say.鈥�
Nov. 21
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to have to approve it.”
Trump suggested that Zelenskyy the U.S. peace plan. Trump pressed Zelenskyy to agree to concessions of land to Moscow, a massive reduction in the size of Ukraine鈥檚 army and agreement from Europe to assert that Ukraine would never be admitted into the NATO military alliance.
Trump set a Nov. 27 deadline 鈥� Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. 鈥� for Zelenskyy to respond to the plan. Trump also said more time could be allotted to Ukraine as long as progress was made to a lasting peace.
Nov. 22
鈥淚 would like to get to peace.鈥�
Asked if the peace plan was his final offer, Trump said it was not. He did not elaborate. But his comment suggested he would be willing to negotiate past the Nov. 27 deadline and alter the peace plan in ways that Ukraine wants. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get it ended. One way or the other, we have to get it ended,鈥� Trump said of the war.
who have been critical of to ending the war said they spoke with Rubio, who told them that the plan Trump was pushing Kyiv to accept was actually a 鈥渨ish list鈥� of the Russians.
The State Department called that account 鈥渇alse鈥� and Rubio later took the extraordinary step of insisting that the plan was U.S.-authored. But the incident raised still more questions about its ultimate fate.
Nov. 23
鈥淯KRAINE 鈥楲EADERSHIP鈥� HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA.鈥�
In a post on his social media site, Trump went after Zelenskyy and the Europeans once more: 鈥淲ith strong and proper U.S. and Ukrainian LEADERSHIP鈥� Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine 鈥渨ould have NEVER HAPPENED,” Trump said, again blaming his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for allowing the conflict in Ukraine.
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