Donald Trump said he would end the Ukraine war in '24 hours', here's what he really meant

The President reveals it was all about the tone.

PUBLISHED MAR 15, 2025

President Trump has long expressed a desire to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

West Palm Beach, Florids: President Donald Trump has revealed what he really meant on the campaign trail when he said he would bring an end to the Ukraine war within "24 hours" of taking office.

“Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,” Trump said in a clip released. “What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled and, I’ll, I think, I think I’ll be successful.”

Steve Witkoff, special envoy, returns to the Oval Office after speaking to the press outside of the White House on March 06, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been in Moscow this week for talks on a ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted, but Russia has yet to.

President Trump has long expressed a desire to end the Russia-Ukraine war. During his election campaign, Trump frequently claimed he could resolve the conflict swiftly. In May 2023, he stated, "They're dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I'll have that done—I'll have that done in 24 hours."

Recently, Trump's administration proposed a 30-day ceasefire. Witkoff discussed this with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who expressed tentative support but highlighted unresolved specifics. Trump described these discussions as productive and remains optimistic about ending the war.