US President Donald Trump reiterated his pledge to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday in a CBS News interview, even as doubts continue to arise about the likelihood of direct negotiations between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I've been watching it, I've been seeing it, and I've been talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," Trump told a phone interview. "Something is going to occur, but they are not yet prepared. But something is going to happen. We are going to make it happen.
His comments followed new Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv that were reported by local authorities as having killed 15 individuals, four of them children. Trump accepted the loss of life but sounded upbeat. "I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said. "Honestly, the Russia one, I believed would've been on the easier end of the ones that I've halted, but it appears to be something a bit harder than some others.
"I understand the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching," Mr. Trump said. "My relationship with all of them is very good. We're going to find out how good it is over the next week or two." "I understand the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching," Trump said. "My relationship with all of them is very good. We're going to find out how good it is over the next week or two," he added.
In his diplomacy style, Trump preached persistence and patience. "Well, you have to do that," he explained to CBS News when queried on holding out during conflicts. "We've had some very good days, fortunately, and once I get them in a room together, or get them at least talking together, they seem to work out. We've saved millions of lives.
Trump also pointed to previous successes, asserting he resolved "six or seven conflicts" during his time in office and implying this might make him eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize. White House aides referenced interventions in conflicts such as Israel-Iran, Rwanda-DR Congo, Armenia-Azerbaijan, Thailand-Cambodia, India-Pakistan, Egypt-Ethiopia, and Serbia-Kosovo.
Still, Trump insists his administration’s interventions were pivotal. "A lot of times, they're fighting each other for so long," he said. "They're fighting each other so long, they don't even think in terms of peace. It just becomes a way of life. And when I get them together, I get the people in the room, I'm able to convince them. 'Let's go. Let's make peace. It's enough, already. You've lost enough lives.'"
In contrast with previous comments regarding a Nobel nomination, Trump made clear that he is not chasing the award, which will be announced next month. "I have nothing to say about it," he replied. "I have nothing to say about it," he said. "All I can do is put out wars. I don't seek attention. I just want to save lives."
Foreign policy experts, however, question his claims, noting that many of these conflicts remain unresolved or were never fully active wars.
