In fact, Trump, along with figures like Keith Kellogg, the incoming Ukraine envoy, has backtracked from claiming the war could be ended in days — around the time of the inauguration — to acknowledging it may take months. This suggests they are still searching for a strategy.There is a genuine desire to end the war, as Trump says, to "stop the killing" and reduce the U.S. budget burden. For some hardline MAGA China hawks (such as former White House chief strategic Steve Bannon), there's also a desire to strike a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, possibly in a Nixonian way, realigning for an eventual confrontation with China. These hawks often envision a world where the West and Russia form a Judeo-Christian alliance against China’s non-believers.For Trump, the solution seems simplistic: give Putin some “wins” — allowing him to keep the territories he holds, blocking NATO membership for Ukraine, restricting Ukraine's use of Western long-range missiles, and moderating sanctions.