Sen. Mark Wayne Marin (R-Okla.) says that in Trump's peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, people think that they need to “trust the process.”
“People are dying every day right now. I know there is the best possible negotiator in the White House.” Marine said on Sunday On ABC News' “This Week.” “So, literally, President Trump wrote the “art of trade.” He knows how to negotiate. ”
“And I believe that if we trust the process, he can negotiate a peace agreement between the two countries,” he added.
Marin's comments come a few days after President Trump was called separately as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky.
When Trump called Putin before the Ukrainian president, the conversation sparked concerns and later told reporters he made a “long and productive” call to “work together.”
It is not particularly clear whether Trump also considers Ukraine to be an “equal member” in efforts to end the war. He later called Zelensky.
A Russian spokesperson said that although no decisions have been made in terms of negotiations, the US is the “major counterpart” in future ceasefire talks.
On Sunday, Marin said he thinks what Trump is doing is “really smart” in talking to both his leaders and getting his administration to navigate the debate. He defended Trump's actions and his reluctance to move forward too quickly.
“If you take people to the table too quickly, it's often… it explodes and they leave and retreat the discussion for probably six months,” Marin said.
