Trump and the Ukraine conflict: A look at reality

Trump and the Ukraine conflict: A look at reality

In the past two months, the United States have had talks with both Ukraine and Russia - separately - to fulfill one of President Donald Trump's main election promises: to end the war in Ukraine. Trump had emphasized several times during his election campaign that he could end the conflict within 24 hours after taking office. But after almost two months there are no signs of a real breakthrough.

Trump's gradual withdrawal of his promises

Trump has refrained from his original promise. First, he extended the self-imposed period to six months in order to then explain that he was "a bit sarcastic" at the 24-hour announcement. In an interview with Newsmax, the president recently said that Moscow may "hesitate" in a ceasefire offer.

The pressure on Ukraine

Trump has made it clear that Ukraine has to give in to its strict approach if it wants to continue to receive military support from the USA. While Russia "in principle" agrees to the US proposals for an armistice, it continuously brings "but" and "only if" clauses into play that undermine any agreements.

chronology of ceasefire negotiations

20. January: Trump is inaugurated as President of the United States. In the election campaign he promised to end the war in Ukraine within a day.

12. February: Trump announces that with the Russian President Wladimir Putin To speak ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. It is the first known conversation between the two presidents since Trump's office in January.

The phone call represents a U.S. foreign policy about the U.S. and surprises the European allies. Russia has been war against Eastern Ukraine since 2014 and started a comprehensive invasion in 2022.

On the same day, Trump calls the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj to inform him about his conversation with Putin and his plans to terminate the war.

15. February: The White House announces that high-ranking civil servants will travel to Saudi Arabia to travel with to speak to the termination of the war .

17. February: Kiev and his European partners express disappointment about their exclusion from the negotiations and emphasize that no deal can come about without Ukraine. An emergency summit is with European and NATO leaders

18. February: US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio meets the Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lawrow Riad. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Trump's special sent in Steve Witkoff also take part in the first round of negotiations, while the head of the Kirill Dmitriev State District is present with Russian officials.

After the talks, Rubio explains that “all sides” have to make concessions to end the war. Meanwhile, Trump criticizes Selenskyj, who has declared that he will not agree to any deal that is closed without Ukraine.

28. February: Selenskyj travels to the USA, where he an agreement on minerals . But the meeting ends in a chaotic dispute between Selenskyj and Trump after Vice President JD Vance Selenskyj attacks and suggests that Ukraine should use diplomacy to end war, and to accuse him of not wanting to peace.

Vance's proposal surprises Selenskyj and there is an unusually public dispute between the three leaders. The meeting ends with the fact that Selenskyj is asked to go prematurely without a deal happening.