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’re aiming to stop it, preferably. However, should either party make things extremely challenging for us, we’ll simply state ‘you are being unwise, you are fools, and you are terrible individuals; thus, we will abstain.’ Hopefully, though, this won’t be necessary,” Trump stated to journalists in the Oval Office.
“I believe we have a strong possibility of resolving the issue,” Trump further stated.
When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was delaying matters, as many critics suggested, Trump stated his hope that this wasn’t the case. He also deflected a query regarding whether he might be being manipulated by Russia.
“No, nobody is casting me. I’m attempting to assist,” Trump stated.
“No one is holding back; we aim to find out if we can pull this off,” he continued. “I believe we have a strong likelihood of success. Things are currently reaching a critical point.”
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 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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