President-elect Donald Trump on Monday blasted the human toll of Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying the death toll “on both sides” was likely much higher than reported.
“We’re trying to end the war, this horrible, horrible war that’s going on in Ukraine, in Russia, in Ukraine,” Trump said Monday from Mar-a-Lago. “We’re going to make some progress, it’s difficult, it’s nasty, it’s nasty.”
Trump then described in graphic and detailed detail how Ukraine’s flat terrain contributes to the high number of battlefield deaths.
“People are being killed at levels no one has ever seen. The terrain is very flat and the only thing that stops a bullet is a body, a human body,” the president-elect said.
Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office but has yet to present a meaningful peace plan. Trump warned that Ukraine would likely receive less U.S. support once he takes office.
Regarding the war in Gaza, Trump said: “We are trying to help, very strongly, to recover the hostages.”
“We’re working on this a lot,” Trump said without providing further details.
He repeatedly and falsely claimed that there were “no wars” during his tenure as president. At least 65 U.S. troops have died in hostile actions during Trump’s term. according to military records. Trump was president during the war in Afghanistan, and as president he ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport.
This article has been updated with additional details.