Trump sees Ukraine peace deal as road to heaven
Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday, shortly after hosting talks in Washington on a potential deal with Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, several European leaders, and the heads of NATO and the European Commission. The discussions followed Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, as the US leader continues efforts to bring the warring sides to the table for direct negotiations.
'If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed... I want to try to get to heaven, if possible. I'm hearing that I'm not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole,' Trump said.
'But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons,' he added.
The US president went on to describe the Ukraine conflict as 'the toughest' of the 'seven wars' he claims to have helped end during his political career. Trump says he now wants to arrange a Putin-Zelensky meeting, while simultaneously urging the Ukrainian leader to be 'more flexible.'
Trump has openly courted recognition for his diplomacy, saying he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end bloodshed between rival nations. This month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev endorsed the 79-year-old for the award, citing his role in mediating the long-running dispute between their countries.
Asked at a White House briefing on Tuesday whether Trump was joking about heaven, press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied: 'I think the president was serious. I think the president wants to get to heaven – as I hope we all do in this room as well.'
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