On Friday, President Trump firmly stated that he was not being “manipulated” during discussions aimed at concluding the conflict in Ukraine. He expressed confidence about finalizing an agreement following remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio who suggested time was running short for the talks.
“We aim to stop it, preferably. However, should either party make things extremely challenging, our response will be: ‘You are being foolish; you are all fools; you are terrible individuals,’ and consequently, we’ll opt out. Hopefully, though, this scenario won’t unfold,” Trump stated to journalists in the Oval Office.
“I believe we have a strong possibility of resolving the issue,” Trump also mentioned.
When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was delaying matters, as many critics suggest, Trump stated that he genuinely hoped this wasn’t the case. He also dismissed a query regarding whether he might be manipulated by Russia.
“No, nobody is casting me. I’m attempting to assist,” Trump stated.
“No one is holding back; we aim to see if we can make it happen,” he continued. “I believe we have a strong possibility of succeeding. Things are reaching a critical point at this moment.”
Trump declined to specify whether he would keep backing Ukraine if the truce negotiations fell through.
“I won’t state that, as I believe we will accomplish it,” Trump stated.
Rubio said earlier Friday after talks in Paris that the U.S. was reaching a point where it had to decide whether a resolution was possible.
“If it isn’t, then I believe we’ll simply proceed,” Rubio stated.
Trump has for months been pressing for a ceasefire in Ukraine, where fighting has been underway since Russian forces invaded in February 2022 after amassing troops near the border. He said on the campaign trail he would be able to end the war before even taking office.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has
said he accepted the terms of a 30-day ceasefire laid out by Trump administration officials, putting the ball in Russia’s court.
Critics have argued Russia is dragging its feet and is not interested in a ceasefire as it makes gains on the battlefield.
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