President Trump is nearing his initial 100 days before entering the White House and states that his campaign promise to conclude the war in Ukraine from day one was not intended as a serious commitment.
In a discussion with Time Magazine released on Friday, when questioned about his assertion that he could quickly resolve the conflict, he criticized the media for its interpretation of his comments.
“I mentioned it figuratively, and it was an exaggeration, because, as you know, that’s what you receive from fake news,” Trump remarked to the publication. “Clearly, I was joking when I said it, but I was also informed it was concluded.”
When questioned on why a ceasefire agreement is taking so long, Trump noted he had been in office for just three months, insisting that it isn’t an extensive period.
“This conflict has persisted for three years. It’s a conflict that wouldn’t have occurred if I were in charge,” the president stated. “It’s Biden’s conflict. It’s not my conflict. I have no involvement in it.”
“I would never have instigated this conflict. This conflict would never have come about. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wouldn’t have acted like this before,” he continued.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump consistently asserted that he would resolve the Russian-Ukraine conflict before assuming office, yet he did not elaborate on how he would accomplish that at the time.
He also rebuked Ukraine for instigating a war with Russia by relinquishing NATO membership, claiming that Crimea believes it will stay under Moscow’s influence as part of a settlement to end the conflict.
Officials from the Trump administration have implied that Ukraine might need to concede some territory to Russia in return for peace as the White House struggles to facilitate even a partial ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev.
The president stated on Thursday that if Russia commits to not taking over Ukraine, he would be willing to make concessions for peace. He also claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is more challenging to collaborate with than Putin.
Ukraine has accepted Trump’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, but Russian leaders have stipulated various conditions for the agreement.
