Trump said he'd end Russia-Ukraine war on Day One. Now his advisers say it’ll take months

A little over a year ago, President-elect Donald Trump boldly claimed he would be a “dictator” for his first 24 hours in office.

One of his ‘Day One’ actions– and perhaps his most ambitious foreign policy promise– was to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

In the run-up to his November 5 election victory, Trump frequently declared he would broker a deal between the warring nations immediately upon taking office, if not sooner.

However, his advisors are now tempering expectations, finally acknowledging that the conflict is far more complex than initially suggested.

Resolution to Russia-Ukraine war months away

Two Trump associates, who have discussed the issue with the president-elect, recently told Reuters the timeline for resolving the conflict could span months. They described the Day One promise as a mix of campaign bravado and an underestimation of the time needed to assemble a new administration capable of addressing the deeply entrenched conflict.

This revised outlook aligns with remarks from Trump’s incoming Russia-Ukraine envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg. In a Fox News interview last week, Kellogg outlined a goal of achieving a “solid and sustainable” resolution by May, far beyond Trump’s initial pledge.

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“I think they will come to a solvable solution in the near term. When I say near term, I would like to set a goal on a personal level, on a professional level,” he said.

“I would say let’s set it at 100 days and move back.”

Trump shifts rhetoric on Ukraine

Since his election victory on Nov. 5, Trump has softened his stance, often refraining from setting a specific timeline. At a December press conference, he conceded that resolving the war in Ukraine could prove more challenging than negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza.

“I think, actually, more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation,” Trump said.

While the Republican was quite confident in making the claims of ending the war on Day One, he appears to have left it up to his staffers to reveal to the public that that promise will not be fulfilled.

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With inputs from agencies