Former President Donald Trump, running as the Republican candidate in the upcoming November U.S. presidential election, has raised concerns about the possibility of a third world war, asserting that he could prevent it. Trump emphasized his plans to avoid conflicts with China and to end the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
In a podcast interview released on Tuesday, Trump elaborated on his foreign policy vision. The interview, conducted by Lex Friedman, an American computer scientist and popular podcast host, explored Trump’s approach to global issues.
Friedman noted Trump’s reputation for negotiation skills during his business career and asked how he plans to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has lasted over two years. Trump responded, “I think I can make a deal if I win as president-elect, I’ll have a deal made guaranteed. That’s a war that shouldn’t have happened.” He criticized the Democratic administration, stating, “I have a very exacting plan how to stop Ukraine and Russia,” and mentioned, “I had a good relationship with Zelenskyy too, but had a very good relationship with Putin.”
When asked if Putin would be willing to give up the Ukrainian territory Russia has already occupied, Trump replied, “I don’t know,” and reiterated that if he were president, the war in Ukraine would not have occurred.
At the same time, Trump commented on the situation in Asia, explaining, “Look what’s going on with China. Look at Japan. They’re starting to rearm now. They’re starting to rearm because China’s taken over certain islands.” He asserted, “There’s a lot of danger in the war right now, in the world.”
Trump discussed ways to avoid war with China, stating, “And I have a certain idea, maybe not a plan, but an idea for China.” Yet, he did not provide specific details, stating, “But I can’t give you those plans because if I give you those plans, I’m not going to be able to use them.” When asked whether carrots or sticks are more useful in negotiations with other countries, Trump replied, “It depends on who the person is,” adding, “I think the stick probably is generally more successful in that we’re talking about war.”
Ahead of his first TV debate with Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris on September 10th, Trump’s campaign noted a 43% approval rating in a poll released on August 29th, trailing Harris by 5 percentage points. Trump confidently remarked on his election prospects, saying, “We are leading in the polls,” emphasizing, “It looks close, but I think in the end it’s not going to be a close election.”
