On Friday, President Trump firmly stated that he was not being “played” during discussions aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. He expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached following remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio who suggested time was running short for the negotiations.
“We aim to stop it, preferably. However, should either party make things extremely challenging, our response will be ‘you are being unreasonable, you are foolish individuals, and we consider you terrible people.’ In such a case, we’ll simply withdraw from the situation. Hopefully though, this extreme measure won’t be necessary,” Trump stated to journalists at 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 negotiations, as many critics suggest, Trump expressed his hope that this wasn’t the case. He also deflected 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 this happen,” he continued. “I believe we have a strong possibility of success. Things are reaching a critical point at present.”
Trump did not indicate whether he would keep supporting Ukraine if the peace negotiations fell through.
“I won’t say that because 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.
“Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on,” Rubio said.
For several months, Trump has been advocating for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which has seen conflict since Russian troops launched an invasion in February 2022 following their buildup along the frontier. During his campaign appearances, he claimed he could bring the war to a halt even before assuming the presidency.
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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