President Donald Trump, who repeatedly promised on the campaign trail that he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a single day, now says he wasn’t entirely serious about that claim.
“Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,” Trump said in an interview for the television program “Full Measure,” a clip of which was released ahead of its Sunday broadcast. “What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled, and I think I’ll be successful.”
According to the Associated Press, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow this week for talks on a U.S.-proposed agreement that Ukraine has already accepted, though a ceasefire isn’t guaranteed without Russia’s cooperation. When asked what would happen if Russian President Vladminir Putin refused to cooperate, Trump acknowledged that turn would be “bad news for this world because so many people are dying.”
“But I think he’s going to agree,” Trump continued, “I really do. I think I know him pretty well and I think he’s going to agree.”
While on the campaign trail, Trump frequently touted his ability to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, saying during a May 2023 CNN Town Hall that he would “have that done in 24 hours.” Months later, in a debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, he went even further, saying he would secure a resolution before even taking office.
“If I win, when I’m president-elect, what I’ll do is I’ll speak to one,” he said. “I’ll speak to the other. I’ll get them together.”
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022.
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