Trump Claims WW3 Prevented, Cites Diplomatic Shift with Russia
US President Donald Trump has asserted that he has prevented the Ukraine conflict from escalating into a world war, a claim he attributes to his administration’s diplomatic engagements with Russia. Speaking in a podcast with radio host Mark Levin, Trump stated that the situation was ‘raging’ and heading towards World War III when he assumed office earlier this year. He contrasted this with the previous administration under Joe Biden, which he claimed had pushed the situation to its peak. Trump highlighted his recent face-to-face meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska as pivotal to achieving a more realistic path toward resolution.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this sentiment, stating that there is a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ and an opportunity for lasting peace, although it will require time and further diplomatic efforts. Since returning to office, Trump has taken a markedly different approach toward Russia compared to Biden. He has reopened high-level diplomatic channels with Moscow and communicated directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, Trump hosted Putin in Alaska for the first face-to-face talks between the American and Russian leaders since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. On Monday, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several European leaders arrived in Washington for talks with Trump.
Trump described his talks with Putin as ‘very productive’ and said the meetings have made a settlement more realistic. Russia has consistently described the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war waged by the West. Moscow has accused NATO of seeking to escalate the confrontation and has warned that the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine could risk triggering a world war. At the same time, Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly welcomed Trump’s ‘sincere’ desire to achieve peace.