Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, pressed by ABC News moderators to commit to supporting a Ukraine win over Russia, instead offered a diplomatic "I want the war to stop."
Trump made the comments in Tuesday night's presidential debate against Democrat nominee Kamala Harris, streamed live on Newsmax and Newsmax2. ABC News moderator David Muir twice pressed Trump for a yes/no answer about wanting Ukraine to win the war.
"Do you want Ukraine to win this war?" Muir asked.
"I want the war to stop. I want to save lives that are being uselessly taken, people being killed by the millions," Trump responded the first time.
Muir, while not pressing for such blunt answers from Harris on various issues, prodded Trump again for a definitive answer shortly after.
"Just to clarify in the question, do you believe it's in the U.S.' best interest for Ukraine to win this war? Yes or no?" Muir asked.
"I think it's the U.S.' best interest to get this war finished. And just get it done. Negotiate a deal," Trump replied.
In between, Trump took aim at President Joe Biden's handling of the Ukraine-Russia war.
Harris, seeing an opportunity to herself press Trump, offered this: "Understand why the European allies and our NATO allies are so thankful that you are no longer president and that we understand the importance of the greatest military alliance the world has ever known, which is NATO," she added.
"Otherwise, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe, starting with Poland. And why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up, for the sake of favor, and what you think is a friendship with what is known to be a dictator who would eat you for lunch," she said.
For his part, Trump has been highly critical of the Biden-Harris foreign policies regarding Ukraine, the war in Gaza, the pullout from Afghanistan and migration across the southern border with Mexico. He has contended that the incumbents' weakness has contributed to the proliferation of conflicts around the globe.
After the debate, and the fact-checking, Trump offered this:“I thought that was my best Debate, EVER, especially since it was THREE ON ONE!”
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Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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