The national security adviser of President Donald Trump, Mike Waltz, was not happy on Sunday after he was asked if the 78-year-old president was 'played' by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The question came when the US was busy getting a cease -the fire between Ukraine and Russia, while war has been on since Russia invaded.
Infula anchor Jacqui Heinrich asked the question while Waltz appeared on Fox News on Sunday.
She noted that a European intelligence service discovered a document that was prepared for the Kremlin about how to block Russia for the first time came to the negotiating table and pointed out that a large part of the document has taken place.
Heinrich quoted the Washington Post report in which it was detailed how Russia can stimulate the negotiating position by proposing access to Russian minerals, rejecting peacekeepers and proposing zones.
“How do you know that President Trump is not being played by Putin?” Heinrich asked.
“Well, that's almost laughable,” said Waltz after a break.
Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz shot back that the idea that the president is 'played' by Putin is almost 'laughable' in a tense exchange on Fox News
“I will take President Trump into dealing with the will of XI, from Kim Jong Un, with Putin and others for his predecessor,” said Waltz.
He noticed comments from both Putin and the Ukrainian President Volodyymyr Zensensky, while he insisted that “some President Trump could put this to an end.”
“We know who we are dealing with,” Waltz claimed. “We know on all sides with whom we are dealing with.”
The national security adviser said that the US will continue to negotiate and “use carrots and sticks to bring both parties to the table.”
However, he would not say whether the US would give sanctions on Russia after Trump had made the threat on social media last week.
State Secretary Marco Rubio and the American national security adviser Mike Waltz announced the breakthrough after meeting Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi -Aarabia on 11 March
After the US had announced that Ukraine was in accordance with
The questions about whether the US can really close a deal comes as State Secretary Marco Rubio and Waltz has announced that Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire if Russia also supports it after a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
After announcement, Putin said that Russia agrees with the proposal, but also the deal 'was not complete'.
On Thursday, special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin. He indicated that Russia is open to a deal, but it still remains unclear exactly what Russia demands.
Rubio On Friday after the meeting would not say whether he trusts Putin and calls it an 'irrelevant question' of a reporter.
Waltz appeared on Sunday FOX News and was asked whether Russia used delay tactics or was on his way to a cease -the fire.
Waltz counted by pointing a few months ago “We essentially had no prospect of peace.”
“We are not talking about whether this war will end, we negotiate how the war will end,” he said.
Heinrich said it sounded like the US did not know if Russia is postponing or not.
But in an interview on CNN on Sunday, Witkoff characterized his meeting with Putin last week as a 'positive' and 'solution -based discussion'.
He said he expected a phone call between Trump and Putin this week.
