Trump Responds To Mike Pompeo Calling For End To Russian Annexation Of Crimea

Forbes Breaking News

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, President Trump was asked about his former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, calling for an end to Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Transcript

00:00Mr. President, 2018, your former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for an end to Russian occupation of Crimea.

00:10Why does this administration, why has this administration changed its stance on territorial concessions for Crimea?

00:17Well, the war started, it would have never started if I were president.

00:20This is a war that is a horrible, horrible, the old wars are horrible.

00:24This one is in particular bad, and I don't know that you can ever say there's going to be a winner to this

00:31because so many lives have been lost, not only soldiers, a lot of lives have been lost.

00:37I think that we want to do one very simple thing.

00:42It would have never happened if I were president, zero chance it was going to, and it didn't.

00:47You know, people say, how do you know that?

00:48Number one, it didn't happen.

00:49We never even discussed it.

00:51I would talk to Putin about it.

00:52It was the apple of his eye.

00:53You know, Ukraine was the apple of Putin's eye, but we never, there was never even a thought that he'd go in.

01:00And I think he understood that I would not be happy if he did.

01:04And it was only when I got out, and you know, when you mentioned what happened to Ukraine years ago

01:11under President Obama and a vice president that was also president later, unfortunately, for this country,

01:18what happened is large chunks of lead were given up, and it was called Crimea.

01:25And that was a big, that was a big thing.

01:27That was a big moment.

01:28But this isn't my war.

01:30This is Biden's war.

01:31This is a war that Biden was president when this war happened.

01:37But I'm trying to put out the fire, and I think we'll be successful.

01:40And if we do, we're going to save a lot of lives.

01:43Otherwise, and the prime minister had a statement.

01:46He said, this is just a point in time.

01:48We're very lucky because this is a point.

01:50And if this doesn't happen, this could go on for a long time.

01:54Mr. President, do you have meetings with other world leaders here in the world?

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