President Donald Trump has suggested that brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine might not only end one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history but also improve his chances of getting into heaven.
Speaking on Fox and Friends a day after hosting European leaders – including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky – at the White House, Trump quipped that helping to halt the war could serve him personally as well as politically.
“If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that’s pretty— I want to try to get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing that I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole,” he joked. “But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”
The comment came as Trump continued to push for negotiations to end the war, now in its fourth year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He has long touted his ambition to broker a settlement as both a campaign promise and a potential legacy achievement. In recent weeks, he has also repeated his belief that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to reduce global tensions.
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A difficult sell
Despite Trump’s optimism, convincing Russia to come to the table remains a challenge. Last week he met Vladimir Putin in Alaska – their first face-to-face talks since 2019 – to explore the possibility of peace negotiations. Moscow has so far refused to agree to an immediate ceasefire, insisting instead that Ukraine would likely need to cede some territory in exchange for an end to hostilities.
The United States, alongside European allies, has endorsed calls for a ceasefire and further talks. Zelensky joined the latest round of meetings at the White House, which are expected to continue in the coming weeks as Washington presses to broker a breakthrough.
Trump, a non-denominational Christian, has previously framed his faith in terms of good deeds. “If I’m good, I’m going to Heaven and if I’m bad, I’m going someplace else – like over there, right?” he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham last year.
For now, the president insists that bringing peace to Ukraine could be the most decisive “good deed” of his career – whether it earns him a Nobel Prize, a political win, or, as he half-joked, a place in heaven.
