President Donald Trump joked that ending the war in Ukraine will help improve his chances of getting to heaven, as he suggested he is “not doing well” with his ultimate goal.
While appearing on Fox News Tuesday, the president noted the heavy loss of lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 before lurching into another gear.
“I want to end it. You know, we’re not losing American lives, we’re not losing American soldiers. We’re losing Russia and Ukrainian, mostly soldiers. Some people, as missiles hit wrong spots or get lobbed into cities,” Trump told “Fox & Friends.”
“But if I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that’s a pretty … I want to try and get to heaven, if possible,” Trump said. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.” (Watch a clip at the end of the story.)
On Monday, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders in an effort to energize months of stalled U.S.-led efforts to halt the war, which began when Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
During the second Trump-Zelenskyy meeting in the Oval Office this year, Trump said the U.S. would be willing to support European efforts to police any peace deal in Ukraine.
Following the talks, Trump called and spoke at length to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who got the red carpet treatment at a summit with Trump last Friday in Alaska.
Trump said he would now work to arrange a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
On “Fox & Friends,” Trump admitted there was a “warmth” to his relationship with Putin, and said it would have been “disrespectful” to Putin to speak to the Russian leader on Monday with other Western leaders in the room.
“Otherwise, I don’t care about the relationship,” he added.
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Trump said both Putin and Zelenskyy will need to show they’re willing to end the conflict.
“I hope President Putin is going to be good, and if he’s not, it’s going to be a rough situation,” Trump said. “And I hope that Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility also.”