THE WASHINGTON POST: A timeline of Donald Trump’s quotes, shifts and U-turns on Russia and Ukraine

President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States will help Ukraine obtain advanced US-made weaponry and his threats of tariffs against Moscow mark his strongest comments yet in support of Kyiv and are the latest twist in his shifting positions toward Russia and Ukraine.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Mr Trump, for a long time, avoided directly criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He went so far as to praise Mr Putin’s moves as “genius” and “savvy” and echoed the Kremlin’s narratives on the start of the war.

At campaign rallies, he also repeatedly pledged to end the war within 24 hours of becoming President.

His apparent sympathy for Russia was demonstrated when he blamed Ukraine for the war during a contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in February.

But this month, Mr Trump expressed frustration over Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine and began threatening sanctions - causing some concern among Russia’s elite that Putin may have overplayed his hand.

Here’s how we got here.

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2023 - 2024: Promises to end the war

During the presidential campaign, Mr Trump appears to blame Mr Zelensky for the war and refuses to say whether he wants Ukraine to win.

Privately, he says he could end the war in Ukraine by putting pressure on Kyiv to give up territory, as The Washington Post reported.

Publicly, he repeatedly pledges to stop the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House, without providing details of how he will do so.

In March 2025, he says he was “a little bit sarcastic” when he said he could end the war in only 24 hours - although he had repeated the line several times at campaign rallies.

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Feb. 18, 2025: Trump claims Ukraine was to blame

Mr Trump angers Ukrainians by falsely claiming that Zelensky was to blame for the Russian invasion and describing him as “a Dictator without Elections” - an echo of statements made by the Kremlin, and a claim that overlooks the fact that widespread displacement and the deployment of many citizens to the front line makes voting nearly impossible in Ukraine.

Mr Trump’s comments come after the US and Russia hold talks on Ukraine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - without any Ukrainian or NATO officials - in a move that unsettled Ukrainians and that Russia portrayed as a step toward ending Moscow’s isolation.

“Today I heard, ‘Oh, we weren’t invited,’” Mr Trump says. “Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it. … You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”

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Feb. 28: Trump blasts Zelensky in Oval Office

Mr Zelensky’s visit to the White House descends into a shouting match, as Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance blast the Ukrainian leader.

“You’re right now not in a very good position,” Mr Trump tells Zelensky. “You’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position. You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.”

The public dispute had no modern precedent and was particularly striking after generations of US presidents had presented staunch opposition to Kremlin aggression around the world.

Following the meeting, a senior administration official says a policy review is underway, with large amounts of U.S. equipment at stake.

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March 30: Trump says he is ‘angry’ at Putin

Mr Trump says he is “angry” at Mr Putin for questioning Mr Zelensky’s legitimacy and will consider more tariffs on Russian oil if he and the Russian President are unable to end “the bloodshed in Ukraine” and “if I think it was Russia’s fault.”

Mr Trump, who has also attacked Mr Zelensky’s credibility in the past, criticises Mr Zelensky as well, accusing him of trying to back out of a rare metals deal with the US. He says that while he is “disappointed” with Mr Putin, he also trusts him, adding: “I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word.”

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April 24: Trump tells Putin to stop attacks

Mr Trump again criticises Mr Putin following further Russian attacks on Ukraine.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” Mr Trump writes on Truth Social. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”

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April 26: Trump meets Zelensky at the Vatican

Mr Trump holds a private meeting with Mr Zelensky at the Vatican, where the two leaders are attending Pope Francis’s funeral. It’s their first face-to-face meeting since Mr Zelensky’s visit to the White House.

The quiet, one-on-one meeting is described by Mr Zelensky as a “very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”

Mr Trump meanwhile criticises Mr Putin and Russian attacks on Ukraine on social media, saying the attacks made him “think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’” He added: “Too many people are dying!!!”

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April 30: US and Ukraine sign minerals deal

Washington signs a contentious minerals deal with Kyiv, which falls short of providing any concrete security guarantees to Ukraine but affirms a “long-term strategic alignment” between the two countries and US “support for Ukraine’s security, prosperity, reconstruction, and integration into global economic frameworks.”

“This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centred on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says.

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May 19: Trump-Putin call

In a phone call with Mr Putin, Mr Trump appears to accept Russia’s demand to postpone a ceasefire, opening the way for fighting to continue.

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May 25: Trump calls Putin ‘CRAZY’

Mr Trump threatens new sanctions against Russia after the country launches another massive missile and drone attack against Ukraine.

“I’m not happy with what Putin is doing. He’s killing a lot of people,” he tells reporters. “I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” he continues. “I’ve known him a long time.”

Separately, Mr Trump writes on Truth Social that Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY!”

“Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever. I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”

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June 25: Trump and Zelensky have ‘nice’ meeting

Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky meet at a NATO summit in The Hague.

Mr Trump describes the meeting as “very nice,” saying of Mr Zelensky: “Couldn’t have been nicer. I think he’d like to see an end to this.” He adds that he is “going to speak to Vladimir Putin and see if we can get it ended.”

Mr Zelensky, meanwhile, says he and Mr Trump discussed Ukraine’s wish to buy US Patriot air defense systems.

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July 8: Trump calls Putin promises ‘meaningless’

Mr Trump steps up criticism of Mr Putin and reiterates plans to send more weapons to Ukraine - days after the White House said that the Pentagon had halted deliveries of some key weapons.

“I’m not happy with Putin, I can tell you that much right now, because he’s killing a lot of people,” Mr Trump says.

Mr Trump continues: “You want to know the truth? He is very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

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July 13: Trump pledges more weapons for Ukraine

Mr Trump, in his strongest shift in support of Ukraine during his presidency, says he will help Ukraine obtain advanced weapons including Patriot missiles, paid for by the European Union.

He says he is “disappointed” with Putin, telling reporters: “I thought he was somebody that meant what he said.”

The next day, he threatens tariffs on Russia if the war does not stop within 50 days and says Ukrainians “continue to fight with tremendous courage.”

Although Russian officials have downplayed the shift, stressing that a lot can happen on the battlefield within 50 days, the move nonetheless sparks anxiety among Russia’s elite, with and some fearing that Putin could have missed an opportunity.

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