Trump says he wants to get to heaven but is at the bottom of the totem pole
Donald Trump is trying his best to be a middleman for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Although talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin were fruitless, the US leader still has hope he can stop the bloodshed – and joked it could get him into heaven.
Speaking to Fox and Friends, Trump said: 'If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that's pretty good.
'I want to try to get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole.
'But if I get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.'
He also referenced his 'intervention' to stop a potential war between India and Pakistan, saying he 'saved a lot of lives'.
Trump added, 'They were going at it. Planes were being shot down. That was going to be maybe a nuclear war.'
His remarks came after Trump said US troops would not be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia.
Trump added that Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula from Russia are 'impossible'.
When asked by Fox & Friends what assurances he could provide going forward that American troops would not be part of defending Ukraine's border, Trump said: 'Well, you have my assurance, and I'm president.'
But he would have no control over the US military after his term ends in January 2029.
The president also said that he is optimistic that a deal can be reached to end the Russian invasion, but said Ukraine will not keep Crimea or join NATO.
As for Putin, he's hoping for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.
After rambling about his path to heaven, Trump wrote on Truth Social about how museums throughout the nation's capital and all over the country are the 'last remaining segments of WOKE'.
He's focusing his efforts on the Smithsonian. In a statement to NPR, the White House said: 'President Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable.
'He will start with the Smithsonian and then go from there.'
The White House previously said it plans to audit eight Smithsonian museums to 'ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.'
Trump added: 'This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the 'HOTTEST' Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.'
Talks of a potential meeting between Putin and Zelensky are also in the works, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Trump himself said that he was pressing for three-way talks among Zelensky, Putin and himself. More Trending
But after speaking to Putin, Trump said that he was arranging first for a face-to-face between Zelensky and Putin and that three-way talks would follow if necessary.
Zelensky and Putin last met in person in 2019, speaking about how to stop fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops had been trying to take land since 2014.
Then, the pair met in Paris, but the meeting didn't lead to any long-term peace in the regions.
The stakes have never been higher after Russia illegally invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sparking a war which has killed more than 70,000 Ukrainian civilians.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Zelensky should never have to hand over land to Putin
MORE: Five key takeaways from Zelensky's crunch talks with Donald Trump at the White House
MORE: Fact check: Donald Trump boasts he's ended 'six wars in six months' but has he?
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