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‘Ask Russia’: Trump Refuses to Say if Ukraine War Will End in a Year Despite ’24 Hours’ Vow

One of President Donald Trump’s several broken campaign promises was highlighted by a question Thursday as he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he refused to say if Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine would be over in a year.
On the campaign trail, Trump infamously vowed that he would end the war, started by Russian President Vladimir Putin, within “24 hours,” and at one point he suggested he would end it if re-elected — even before being sworn in as president.
“I would fix that within 24 hours, and if I win, before I get into the office, I will have that war settled. 100% sure,” Trump said on Fox News in March 2024, according to HuffPost.
“Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled — we’re going to get it settled and stop the death,” Trump adamantly told supporters in June 2024.
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“If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours,” Trump said again just months later, at a CNN town hall in May 2023, as TIME reported. “It will be over. It will be absolutely over.”
But on Thursday, Trump had a very different response.
“Mr. President, when you’re back here in Davos next year, will there be then a peace agreement with Ukraine and Russia by then?” World Economic Forum President and CEO Borge Brende asked Trump, who appeared virtually (video below).
“Well, you’re gonna have to ask Russia,” was Trump’s response, completely sidestepping his multiple campaign promises.
“Ukraine is ready to make a deal,” he offered, before shifting the blame. “This is a war that should have never started. If I were president, it would never have started. This is a war that should have never, ever been started. And it wasn’t started during my — there was never even talk about it. I knew that it was the apple of President Putin’s eye, but I also knew that there was no way he was going in and he wasn’t gonna go in.”
“And then, uh, when I was out, uh, bad things happened, bad things were said. And a lot of stupidity all around and you end up with what you have.”
Putin’s war against Ukraine started in 2014. The February 2022 incursion was an escalation, but Russia was unlawfully occupying parts of Ukraine during Trump’s first presidency.
Recently, Trump has used his social media platform to levy threats of levying tariffs against Russia if Putin does not end the war. It is unclear if the incoming Trump administration has done more than that.
“Responding to the threat of harsher sanctions, the Kremlin said it remains ‘ready for an equal dialogue, a mutually respectful dialogue,'” the BBC reported Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reportedly said, “We’re waiting for signals that are yet to arrive.”
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BBC reports, “He added that Russia sees nothing new in Donald Trump’s threats to impose sanctions.”
“He likes these methods, at least he liked them during his first presidency,” Peskov said.
On Wednesday, Trump had written a lengthy missive pleading with and threatening Putin to end the war.
“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX,” Trump claimed. “We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to “MAKE A DEAL.” NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
Watch the video below or at this link.
Q: Will there be a peace agreement with Ukraine and Russia by next year?
TRUMP: Well, you’ll have to ask Russia
(Trump promised to end the war before he even took office.) pic.twitter.com/HSP5bUjBSS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 23, 2025
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Image via Reuters
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