President Trump told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning about the phone call he made to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders.
Trump stepped out to phone his Russian counterpart to work on setting up a direct meeting with Zelensky. If that occurs, the next step would be a “Trilat” where Trump said he would “close it up,” but he emphasized the two need to speak directly first.
“They haven't been exactly best friends,” he said. "They haven’t gotten along very well.”
Trump touted the wars he has ended while acknowledging he thought the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be one of the easier ones to solve, but it’s proven to be “the toughest one.”
“I hope President Putin is going to be good and if not, it’s going to be a rough situation, and I hope that President Zelensky will do what he has to do, he has to show some flexibility also, the thing’s a mess,” the president said.
"Yesterday, you talked about arranging a meeting to take place in two weeks between Putin and Zelensky — is there an update there and do you plan to attend?"@POTUS: "I thought I'd first let them meet — they haven't been exactly best friends... It only matters if we get things… pic.twitter.com/0VrNMvNEpZ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 19, 2025
Trump also explained what is motivating him to end conflicts around the globe.
“If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed…I want to try to get to Heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I hear I'm really at the bottom of the totem pole, but if I can get to Heaven, this will be one of the reasons," he said.
"I told him that we're going to set up a meeting with President Zelensky, and you and he will meet, and then after that meeting, if everything works out OK, I'll meet and we'll wrap it up," says @POTUS on yesterday's call to Putin.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 19, 2025
"It takes, in this case, two to tango." pic.twitter.com/0j4WF6iE92
Wow. President Trump tells Fox News he hopes his efforts to end wars will bring him closer to Heaven.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 19, 2025
This is powerful. Watch:
"I just want to end it. If i can save seven thousand people a week from getting killed, that's pretty good. I want to get to heaven if possible. I'm… pic.twitter.com/jcrQy4ixtT
This is a deeply spiritual moment from a president that we rarely see.
— Joey Mannarino 🇺🇸 (@JoeyMannarinoUS) August 19, 2025
Trump expressed to Fox and Friends how his desire to end wars and create world peace stems from his desire to get to Heaven in the afterlife.
Honestly, this is so touching. pic.twitter.com/sxewvRLBB7