Four and a Half Years of War: Trump's Ukraine Peace Promise Unmet

The conflict in Ukraine has now stretched beyond four and a half years. Despite repeated assertions by the U.S. executive that a resolution is imminent, active fighting continues on the front lines.

President Donald Trump frequently pledged during the 2023 campaign to settle the war before taking office. At a rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 7, 2023, he stated, "Before I even arrive at the Oval Office shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled." He added, "I want people to stop dying. That’s the side I’m on."

Efforts to fulfill that promise have included direct diplomatic engagement. Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on two occasions at the White House. He also held a single meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Regarding that summit, Trump remarked, "There were many, many points that we agreed on," while noting that "there’s no deal until there’s a deal."

Legislative and executive actions have also shifted. On September 18, Trump signed the Lindsey Graham Act, a bipartisan bill named for the late South Carolina senator, which imposed sanctions and tariffs on Russia. Just under a month later, on October 16, he signed an executive order that waived those sanctions.

The current state of the war leaves the initial campaign timeline far in the past. The conflict remains active, with no formal agreement signed between the warring nations or their key mediators.