Trump's 100-Day Plan to End the War in Ukraine

Trump’s 100-Day Plan to End the War in Ukraine

Experts weigh in on the elements of the plan, the odds of success, and the wisdom of meeting with Vladimir Putin

EXPERT ANALYSIS

US President-elect Donald Trump, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky pose before a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on December 7, 2024. (Photo by SARAH MEYSSONNIER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Posted: January 19th, 2025

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – Before the Trump administration takes office, the President-elect and his team have made two major pronouncements regarding the war in Ukraine: they will launch an effort on Inauguration Day to end the war in 100 days; and Trump himself says he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push the process forward. The latter was something the Biden administration refused to do without some sign that Putin was moderating his aggression against Ukraine. As for the 100-day pledge, while it’s a far cry from Trump’s oft-repeated campaign promise to end the war in 24 hours, it’s still a very ambitious goal.

His own Ukraine envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, acknowledged as much when he explained the 100-day approach. Lt. Gen. Kellogg said the timeline was necessary to help ensure that “this solution is solid, it’s sustainable and that this war ends so that we stop the carnage.”

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