Former U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that Russia possessed the capability to swiftly conclude the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Axios, Trump stated that a strategic misstep by a Russian general hindered a rapid victory. He specifically cited the decision to divert tanks from highways into muddy agricultural fields as the critical error. According to Trump, this altered approach stalled the Russian advance on Kyiv, allowing Ukrainian forces time to mount a defense. He suggests that had Russia maintained its initial trajectory, the conflict would have ended within a day. The comments offer a retrospective analysis of the early stages of the invasion and attribute Russia’s stalled progress to internal tactical decisions. Trump did not elaborate on the specific general or provide further details regarding the alternative plan.