Trump: Pledge To End Ukraine War On First Day In White House ‘said In Jest’

President Trump, nearing the end of his first 100 days back in the White House, says his campaign pledge to end the war in Ukraine on Day 1 was not a serious promise.

In an interview with Time magazine, published Friday, Trump was asked about his claim that he could end the war immediately, and he blamed the media for the way it was perceived.

“Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point, and you know, it gets, of course, by the fake news,” Trump told the outlet. “Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that it will be ended.”

Asked why it’s taking so much time to come to a ceasefire agreement, Trump said he doesn’t think it’s been that long, citing that he has only been in office for three months.

“This war has been going on for three years. It's a war that would have never happened if I was president," Trump said. "It's [former President] Biden's war. It’s not my war. I have nothing to do with it."

"I would have never had this war. This war would have never happened. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would have never done it,” he added.

Trump consistently claimed during his 2024 presidential campaign that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine before even taking office, though he did not provide specifics on how he would do so at the time.

Also in the Time interview, Trump blamed Ukraine for initiating the war with Russia by eyeing a NATO membership and said that he thinks Crimea will stay under Moscow’s control as part of a deal to end the war.

Trump administration officials have previously suggested Ukraine should expect to cede some land to Russia in exchange for peace, as well as agreeing not to join NATO, as the White House has struggled to negotiate even a limited truce between Moscow and Kyiv.

The president said Thursday that Russia would be making a concession toward peace if it agrees not to take over Ukraine. He has also said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been harder to work with than Putin.

Ukraine has agreed to Trump’s 30-day ceasefire proposal while the Russian leader has demanded various conditions for a deal.