Ukraine conflict stretches past four and a half years as Trump peace bid stalls

President Donald Trump pledged during the 2023 campaign that he would resolve the war in Ukraine before taking office. More than four and a half years after the conflict began, fighting persists despite repeated diplomatic efforts.

Trump stated at a July 7, 2023, rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that he wanted people to stop dying. He claimed he would have the war settled shortly after winning the presidency, asserting that he was on the side of ending the death toll.

Since taking office, Trump has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice at the White House. He also held one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, in August 2025. Trump described that session as productive, noting that the leaders agreed on many points but had not yet reached a final deal.

The administration has taken legislative action to pressure Russia, though recent moves suggest shifting policy. On Sept. 18, Trump signed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) Act, a bipartisan bill imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia. Less than a month later, on Oct. 16, he signed an executive order waiving those specific sanctions.

The timeline of these actions contrasts with the initial campaign promise. The war has now lasted more than four and a half years, a duration that extends well beyond the immediate settlement Trump described at his Iowa rally.