US President Donald Trump has suggested that bringing the Ukraine conflict to an end could help secure his place in heaven, as he pushes ahead with efforts to broker a peace settlement between Moscow and Kiev. The remarks were made during a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday, shortly after hosting talks in Washington on a potential deal with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, several European leaders, and the heads of NATO and the European Commission. The discussions followed Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, as the US leader continues efforts to bring the warring sides to the table for direct negotiations.
Trump made the remarks by stating that saving 7,000 lives a week from being killed would be a step toward entering heaven. He also emphasized his belief that he is not doing well and is at the bottom of the totem pole. However, he added that if he were to achieve this goal, it would be one of the reasons for his desire to reach heaven.
The US president went on to describe the Ukraine conflict as the toughest of the seven wars he claims to have helped end during his political career. Trump says he now wants to arrange a Putin-Zelensky meeting while simultaneously urging Zelensky to be more flexible. Additionally, Trump has openly courted recognition for his diplomacy, stating he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end bloodshed between rival nations. This month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev endorsed the 79-year-old for the award, citing his role in mediating the long-running dispute between their countries.
Asked at a White House briefing on Tuesday whether Trump was joking about heaven, press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied that she believes the president is serious, and that he wants to get to heaven as everyone hopes to in this room as well.