Trump Breaks His Pledge to End Ukraine War

President Trump, unfortunately, has not kept his promise regarding the Ukraine-Russia war. He campaigned on ending the conflict even before he was officially inaugurated as the 47th president. Yet, nearly a year into his presidency, the situation appears to be escalating rather than de-escalating.

Last week, there seemed to be a glimmer of progress thanks to Hungarian President Viktor Orbán’s efforts to arrange a second summit between Trump and Russia. President Trump had reportedly rejected President Zelensky’s request for Tomahawk missiles and stated that he wanted the war to end along the current battle lines.

However, just this week, new sanctions on Russia were approved, the Trump-Orbán summit was canceled, and reports indicate that even more weapons are set to be sent to Ukraine.

Let’s be blunt: President Trump has failed to keep his promise to end the war.

Trump’s Campaign Pledge to End the Conflict

During the 2024 campaign, President Trump repeatedly promised that he would not continue funding what he called a “ridiculous war” between Ukraine and Russia. He positioned himself as the candidate who would bring an immediate end to the conflict through tough diplomacy and a refusal to keep writing blank checks to Kyiv.

On June 25, 2024, a policy briefing associated with the Trump campaign outlined his intended approach:

“We tell the Ukrainians, ‘You’ve got to come to the table, and if you don’t come to the table, support from the United States will dry up.’”

Similarly, during a March 2024 campaign meeting in Florida with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian leader reported that Trump told him:

“I will not give a penny in the Ukraine-Russia war … Therefore, the war will end, because it is obvious that Ukraine cannot stand on its own feet.”

These statements were central to Trump’s foreign policy message — that continued U.S. involvement only prolonged the bloodshed and risked further confrontation with Russia.

Yet nearly a year into his presidency, the opposite has occurred. Sanctions have increased, additional weapons shipments have been approved, and diplomatic progress toward peace has stalled.

Simply put, President Trump has not kept his campaign promise to end the war.

Trump’s Mixed Messages on Supplying Weapons to Ukraine

President Trump also promised during the 2024 campaign that he would not continue sending weapons to Ukraine. He repeatedly criticized the escalation of U.S. military aid and warned that providing advanced weaponry only prolonged the war and risked drawing America deeper into the conflict.

In an interview published on December 12, 2024, Trump condemned Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied missiles:

“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.”

Despite this, Trump’s later comments as president have sent mixed signals. In October 2025, when asked about Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, Trump acknowledged their demands, saying:

“They need Patriots very badly. They’d like to have Tomahawks … We talked about that, so we’ll see.”

However, he also expressed hesitation about supplying such weapons, adding:

“We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks. … We don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country.”

Why Is the Trump Administration Going Back on Its Promises?

So why is President Trump and his administration apparently going back on the promises made during the 2024 campaign?

It’s clear that European allies are pressuring the administration to keep the war machine going. They continue to play a diplomatic game — claiming they’d accept a cease-fire along current battle lines — but the Russians reject this because they believe the West’s real intent is to use the cease-fire period to rearm Ukraine and later attempt to retake Russian-held territories.

The Europeans then use Russia’s rejection of a cease-fire to try to convince Trump that the Russians aren’t really interested in ending the conflict.

Trump either doesn’t realize this, or he’s receiving bad advice — likely from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who appears to be a disruptive influence within the administration. Notably, it wasn’t until after Rubio’s phone call with his Russian counterpart that the planned Trump-Putin summit with Viktor Orbán was canceled.

Political and Economic Risks Ahead

With signs of a slowing economy and growing instability in Venezuela and Iran, Trump’s inability to fulfill one of his key campaign promises could spell political trouble. Not to mention with Netanyahu continuously looking for ways to violate the cease–fire in Gaza.

If the war continues and foreign policy confusion deepens, the road to the 2026 midterms may be far rougher than the White House anticipates.