Russia-Ukraine: The war that just won't end

The most likely near-term scenario is a prolonged conflict or a 'frozen conflict' rather than a comprehensive peace treaty.

- PRABHU DAYAL

(Harshu Balyan)

During his campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, often claiming he could do so "in 24 hours" or even before taking office.

He stated his good relationships with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy would allow him to negotiate a peace deal by bringing them together. He consistently maintained that he had the ability to broker a quick settlement and stop the fighting. He said that he would speak to both leaders, get them in the same room, and settle the war, which he described as "needlessly, so stupidly" happening. He also linked his ability to end the war to preventing a potential World War III.

After taking over as President, Trump's administration toned down its ambitions and stated that its goal was to achieve a lasting ceasefire within the first 100 days of his presidency. Trump indicated that a peace deal might involve Ukraine conceding territory to Russia, though he later modified his stance. Despite his efforts, Donald Trump is not succeeding in bringing peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the war is going on with Russia escalating drone and missile attacks on civilian populations.

Trump's peace efforts have reached an impasse, and recently a planned summit with Vladimir Putin in Budapest was cancelled due to hardline Russian demands, specifically regarding Ukrainian territory concessions. Trump announced he had called off a summit with Vladimir Putin in Budapest because he considered it a "waste of time".