National security adviser Mike Waltz argued the United States is in control of ending the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as the Trump administration “knows who we’re dealing with.”
The two warring countries carried out overnight aerial strikes against each other on Saturday, less than two months into the Trump administration, as it seeks a “permanent” end to the war. Waltz insisted that President Donald Trump and his administration are “very focused” on bringing about a true end to this “endless conflict,” which he argued was not a focus of the previous administration.
“We know who we’re dealing with on all sides, and we are going to engage in diplomacy, we are engaging in diplomacy, and that will involve both carrots and sticks to get both sides to the table, but to also resolve this in a way that is permanent and enduring, Waltz detailed on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream, guest-hosted by Jacqui Heinrich.
When asked about the possibility of Trump using sanctions to negotiate peace in this conflict, Waltz stated that the president has “put that out there on the table,” and has also offered to put out a “broader” relationship with Russia.
The advisor then urged Russia to answer a “fundamental question,” being to either continue losing “massive amounts of men and material” in this war, or to allow the nation’s economy to return to “stability.”
RUSSIA AND CHINA RALLY BEHIND IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Russia and Ukraine’s overnight airstrikes came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss a proposed 30-day ceasefire in the war, which Russia has since rejected. Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that Russia had launched 78 drones and two ballistic missiles over the country overnight; of these drones, around 130 were shot down and another 38 failed to reach their targets.
Trump campaigned on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine ahead of the 2024 election, even vowing to end it within the first 24 hours of his return to the Oval Office. The president has since claimed that he was “being a little sarcastic” with this comment.
