In this combination of file photos, President Donald Trump, left, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, are seen at the Elysee Palace, Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, and President Vladimir Putin, right, addresses a Technology Forum in Moscow on Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, left and center, Pavel Bednyakov, right, File)2025-07-14T14:37:45Z U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly said during his successful campaign for a second term that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. But since his Jan. 20 inauguration, the road to a peace deal has been fraught with changing dynamics among Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.A summit between Trump and Putin set for Friday in Alaska could now be a pivotal moment in the 3 1/2-year-old war. In this combination of file photos, President Donald Trump, left, and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, are seen at the Elysee Palace, Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, and President Vladimir Putin, right, addresses a Technology Forum in Moscow on Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, left and center, Pavel Bednyakov, right, File) In this combination of file photos, President Donald Trump, left, and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, are seen at the Elysee Palace, Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, and President Vladimir Putin, right, addresses a Technology Forum in Moscow on Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, left and center, Pavel Bednyakov, right, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, Ill know exactly whether or not a deal can be made, Trump said Monday. Trumps rhetoric toward both Zelenskyy and Putin has evolved this year.At the start of his second term, Trump was conciliatory toward Putin, for whom he has long shown admiration. But as Putin remained intransigent and rejected an unconditional truce proposed by Trump, the Republican leader has expressed increasing exasperation with the Russian leader, criticizing him for his unbudging stance on U.S.-led peace efforts and for prolonging the war. Until recently, Trump repeatedly said Russia seemed more willing than Ukraine to get a deal done.Trump appears to have softened toward Zelenskyy after a February confrontation in the Oval Office. And, in a reversal, he promised at some point to provide Ukraine with badly needed Patriot air defense missiles under a deal that would see NATO allies in Europe deliver them from their stock, to be replaced by future U.S. supplies. Russias bigger army is pressing on parts of the 620-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line, where thousands of soldiers on both sides have died since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties in the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded in Ukraine, the U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine said Thursday. A look at what Trump has said so far during his second term:Jan. 31 U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens, in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov, File) U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens, in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More We want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.Trump says his new administration has already had very serious discussions with Russia and that he and Putin could soon take significant action toward ending the conflict.Feb. 19A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.Trumps harsh words for Zelenskyy on his Truth Social platform drew criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans in the United States, where defending Ukraine from Russian aggression has traditionally had bipartisan support. Zelenskyy said Trump was falling into a Russian disinformation trap and he was quickly admonished by Vice President JD Vance about the perils of publicly criticizing the president.Feb. 28Youre gambling with World War III. And what youre doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country thats backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.Trump and Vance berated Zelenskyy, accusing him of not showing gratitude after he challenged Vance on the question of diplomacy with Putin. The Oval Office argument, broadcast globally, led to the rest of Zelenskyys White House visit being canceled and called into question U.S. support for Ukraine. A few days later, Trump temporarily paused military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy to seek peace.March 30 I dont think hes going to go back on his word. Youre talking about Putin. I dont think hes going to go back on his word. Ive known him for a long time. Weve always gotten along well.Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he trusts Putin to hold up his end of a potential peace deal. The comments were among the last positive remarks he made about the Kremlin leader this year.April 24 I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE! In a Truth Social post, Trump was reacting to Russia attacking Kyiv with a barrage of missiles and drones. It was the first of his rare criticisms of Putin amid increased Russian attacks on Ukraine.April 29A lot of his people are dying. Theyre being killed, and I feel very badly about it.Trump addressed the toll on Ukrainians during an interview with ABC News after he met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis funeral. It was the first time the leaders had met since the Oval Office spat and signaled a shift in Trumps attitude toward the Ukrainian president. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to journalists after his phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Sirius Park of Science and Art outside Sochi, Russia, on May 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to journalists after his phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Sirius Park of Science and Art outside Sochi, Russia, on May 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More May 25 Ive always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! Trumps Truth Social post made it clear he was losing patience with Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other cities with drones and missiles in stepped-up aerial attacks.June 25 He was very nice actually. We had a little rough times, sometimes. He was ... Couldnt have been nicer. I think hed like to see an end to this, I do.Trump had a closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy during a NATO summit in The Hague. Trumps comments to reporters later also opened the possibility of sending Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine.July 8We get a lot of bull thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. Hes very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.Trump also said hes not happy with Putin and that Moscows war in Ukraine is killing a lot of people on both sides. Trumps comments during a Cabinet meeting came a day after he said the U.S. would send more weapons to Ukraine. It was a dramatic reversal after earlier announcing a pause in delivering previously approved firepower to Kyiv, a decision made amid concerns that U.S. military stockpiles had declined too much.July 13I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. Hell talk so beautifully and then hell bomb people at night. We dont like that.Trumps remarks to reporters came as Russia intensified aerial attacks on Ukraine.July 14I dont want to say hes an assassin, but hes a tough guy. Its been proven over the years. Hes fooled a lot of people before.Trump pushed harder against Putin during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. He said if there was no deal to end the war within 50 days, the U.S. would impose secondary tariffs, targeting Russias trading partners to try to isolate Moscow.Trump and Rutte also discussed a rejuvenated pipeline for U.S. weapons. European allies plan to buy military equipment for transfer to Ukraine. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center left, and United States Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Joseph Keith Kellogg, center right, speak during a meeting, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 14, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center left, and United States Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Joseph Keith Kellogg, center right, speak during a meeting, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 14, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Aug. 11I get along with Zelenskyy, but, you know, I disagree with what hes done, very, very severely, disagree. This is a war that should have never happened.Trump dismissed the idea of Zelenskyy joining the summit with Putin, declaring the Ukrainian president had been to a lot of meetings without managing to halt a war that Russia started.He also lashed out at Zelenskyy for saying Ukraines constitution bans giving up any land.I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelenskyy was saying, Well, I have to get constitutional approval. I mean, hes got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap? Because therell be some land swapping going on.Trump also noted that I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country as opposed to us going to his country or even a third party place.___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine