How Trump backed away from promising to end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours

US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (R) look on before Trump signed a proclamation expanding fishing rights in the Pacific islands. (AFP)
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  • He has changed his tone since becoming president again.
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday suggested the U.S. might soon back away from negotiations altogether without more progress.

DUBAI: During his campaign, Donald Trump said repeatedly that he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine 鈥渋n 24 hours鈥� upon taking office. He has changed his tone since becoming president again.
As various US emissaries have held talks looking for an end to the war, both Trump and his top officials have become more reserved about the prospects of a peace deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday suggested the US might soon back away from negotiations altogether without more progress, adding a comment that sounded like a repudiation of the president鈥檚 old comments.
鈥淣o one鈥檚 saying this can be done in 12 hours,鈥� he told reporters.
The promises made by presidential candidates are often felled by the realities of governing. But Trump鈥檚 shift is noteworthy given his prior term as president and his long histories with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The White House on Friday did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Trump鈥檚 evolving deadline comments.
Here鈥檚 a look at Trump鈥檚 evolution on the way he talks about the Russia-Ukraine war:
鈥楢 very easy negotiation鈥�
MARCH 2023: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a very easy negotiation to take place. But I don鈥檛 want to tell you what it is because then I can鈥檛 use that negotiation; it鈥檒l never work,鈥� Trump told Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity, claiming that he could 鈥渟olve鈥� the war 鈥渋n 24 hours鈥� if he were back in the White House.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them,鈥� Trump said of the war, which at that point had been ongoing for more than a year since Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
MAY 2023: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I鈥檒l have that done 鈥� I鈥檒l have that done in 24 hours,鈥� Trump said during a town hall on CNN.
JULY 2024: When asked to respond to Trump鈥檚 one-day claim, Russia鈥檚 United Nations Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters that 鈥渢he Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day.鈥� Afterward, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that 鈥渁 top priority in his second term will be to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.鈥�
AUGUST 2024: 鈥淏efore I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled,鈥� Trump told a National Guard Conference. 鈥淚鈥檒l get it settled very fast. I don鈥檛 want you guys going over there. I don鈥檛 want you going over there.鈥�
After Trump wins in November
DEC. 16, 2024: 鈥淚鈥檓 going to try,鈥� Trump said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club, asked if he thought he could still make a deal with Putin and Zelensky to end the war.
JAN. 8, 2025: In a Fox News Channel interview, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg 鈥� now serving as Trump鈥檚 special envoy to Ukraine and Russia 鈥� proposed a 100-day deadline to end the war. Friday marked 100 days since that interview. The 100th day of Trump鈥檚 presidency is April 30.
Trump becomes president and starts negotiations
JAN. 31: Trump says his new administration has already had 鈥渧ery serious鈥� discussions with Russia and says he and Putin could soon take 鈥渟ignificant鈥� action toward ending the grinding conflict.
鈥淲e will be speaking, and I think will perhaps do something that鈥檒l be significant,鈥� Trump said in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. 鈥淲e want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.鈥�
FEB. 12: Trump and Putin speak for more than an hour and Trump speaks afterward with Zelensky. Trump says afterward, 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e on the way to getting peace.鈥�
FEB. 19: Trump posts on his Truth Social site that Zelensky is serving as a 鈥渄ictator without elections.鈥� He adds that 鈥渨e are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only 鈥楾RUMP,鈥� and the Trump Administration, can do.鈥�
FEB. 28: Trump and Zelensky have a contentious Oval Office meeting. Trump berates Zelensky for being 鈥渄isrespectful,鈥� then abruptly calls off the signing of a minerals deal that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending the war.
Declaring himself 鈥渋n the middle鈥� and not on the side of either Ukraine or Russia in the conflict, Trump went on to deride Zelensky鈥檚 鈥渉atred鈥� for Putin as a roadblock to peace.
鈥淵ou see the hatred he鈥檚 got for Putin,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate.鈥�
The Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers shortly after Trump shouted at him. Trump later told reporters that he wanted an 鈥渋mmediate ceasefire鈥� between Russia and Ukraine but expressed doubt that Zelensky was ready to make peace.
MARCH 3: Trump temporarily pauses military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky to seek peace.
Trump claims his 24-hour promise was 鈥榮arcastic鈥�
MARCH 14: Trump says he was 鈥渂eing a little bit sarcastic鈥� when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours.
鈥淲ell, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,鈥� Trump says in a clip released from an interview for the 鈥淔ull Measure鈥� television program. 鈥淲hat I really mean is I鈥檇 like to get it settled and, I鈥檒l, I think, I think I鈥檒l be successful.鈥�
MARCH 18-19: Trump speaks with both Zelensky and Putin on successive days.
In a March 18 call, Putin told Trump that he would agree not to target Ukraine鈥檚 energy infrastructure but refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire that Trump had proposed. Afterward, Trump on social media heralded that move, which he said came 鈥渨ith an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine.鈥�
In their own call a day later, Trump suggested that Zelensky should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine鈥檚 power plants to ensure their long-term security. Trump told Zelensky that the UScould be 鈥渧ery helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,鈥� according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
APRIL 14: Trump says 鈥渆verybody鈥� is to blame: Zelensky, Putin and Biden.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a war that should have never been allowed to start and Biden could have stopped it and Zelensky could have stopped it and Putin should have never started it,鈥� Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Talk of moving on
APRIL 18: Rubio says that the US may 鈥渕ove on鈥� from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days.
He spoke in Paris after landmark talks among US, Ukrainian and European officials produced outlines for steps toward peace and appeared to make some long-awaited progress. A new meeting is expected next week in London, and Rubio suggested it could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement.
鈥淲e are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,鈥� Rubio told reporters. 鈥淏ecause if it鈥檚 not, then I think we鈥檙e just going to move on. It鈥檚 not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.鈥�
He said the US administration wants to decide 鈥渋n a matter of days.鈥�
Later that day, Trump told reporters at the White House that he agreed with Rubio that a Ukraine peace deal must be done 鈥渜uickly.鈥�
鈥淚 have no specific number of days but quickly. We want to get it done,鈥� he said.
Saying 鈥淢arco is right鈥� that the dynamic of the negotiations must change, Trump stopped short of saying he鈥檚 ready to walk away from peace negotiations.
鈥淲ell, I don鈥檛 want to say that,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淏ut we want to see it end.鈥�