The war between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since February 2022. The war could develop to become a third world war between the NATO alliance and Russia waged with nuclear weapons.  

Ukraine was barely mentioned by the 2024 election candidates.  In May 2023 Trump said he could end the war in just one day.  Since his election, President Trump has had the opportunity to put his claim into practice.  

Both Russia and Ukraine have been affected by the war as the economies of both countries have suffered, and both sides have lost many lives. Peace can only be realized if both sides are willing to compromise. Russia is unwilling to relinquish the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which contains some Russian speaking minorities and has been occupied by the Russian army. Ukraine believes its future security and liberty must be guaranteed by the international community. For President Zelensky of Ukraine, this means entry into the NATO alliance, which is unacceptable to Russian President Putin.  

Early in March, President Trump “paused” all military aid to Ukraine which he thinks can bring the war to an end by forcing the victim of invasion to surrender. Other Western leaders believe that a defeat for Ukraine might make Putin even bolder and enable him to threaten other countries in central, eastern, and western Europe. 

The Ukraine war is a great test for Trump who has often expressed his admiration for President Putin. The relationship between Ukraine and Russia is very complicated. Peace negotiations will not be easy, and the conflict in Ukraine is likely to occupy the attention of the media for some time to come.