‘Held Russia in check, ensured peace in Europe': White House defends Donald Trump's record; accuses media of undermining peace efforts
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday asserted that US President Donald Trump is the only American leader this century to have 'held Russia in check and ensured peace in Europe,' while strongly defending his recent efforts to broker an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Speaking after Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Leavitt said history showed a pattern of Russian aggression under past administrations.
'Just look at what took place during the last four administrations. Under George W. Bush, Russia invaded Georgia. Under Barack Obama, Russia took Crimea. Under Joe Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine. But under President Trump, Russia did not invade or take anything,' she said.
Trump has frequently criticised his predecessors, including Barack Obama's handling of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Leavitt reiterated that the current war 'never would have started' had Trump been in office in 2022, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself confirmed this point during their recent talks in Anchorage, Alaska.
According to news agency ANI, Leavitt said the Alaska meeting was 'very productive' and opened the way for 'phase two' discussions at the White House within 48 hours.
She credited Trump's 'relentless pursuit of peace' in his second term with breaking years of 'deadly gridlock' in the conflict. 'Thanks to President Trump's efforts, we finally have movement after years of deadly gridlock,' she said.
European leaders and Nato officials also backed Trump's role, Leavitt claimed. Quoting Finnish President Alexander Stub, she said, 'In the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending this war than in the past three and a half years.'
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte was also cited as saying, 'Without President Trump, this deadlock with Putin would not have been broken. He is the only one who could do this.'
Leavitt announced that following discussions, Putin had agreed to a meeting with Zelenskyy, potentially followed by a trilateral summit involving Trump himself.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance publicly praised Leavitt for 'lighting the American media up for lying about our negotiations with Russia and Ukraine' in a post on X.
The press secretary accused sections of the media of 'actively rooting against the president of the United States in the pursuit of peace.'
She criticised coverage of Trump's August 15 talks with Putin, saying the media wrongly portrayed them as a 'defeat.'
'The so-called experts in the foreign policy establishment, whose record is nothing but endless wars, trillions of wasted taxpayer dollars, and dead Americans, have the nerve to lecture President Trump,' she said, noting his record of peace deals, including the Abraham Accords.
Leavitt concluded by contrasting Trump's approach with previous administrations. 'While previous presidents travelled halfway around the world to apologise for America, President Trump stands up for America, and he has firmly restored America's status as the undisputed leader of the free world,' she said.
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