At a White House briefing on Dec. 12, former President Donald Trump told a Polish Radio reporter that the war in Ukraine was absurd, citing the 25,000 soldiers killed in the last month.
White House Hockey Award Presentation
On Dec. 12, Trump presented gold medals from the U.S. Congress to former members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team for beating the Soviet squad in the “Miracle on Ice.” He awarded the medals during a ceremony in the White House.
Trump’s Response to Polish Journalist
Polish Radio correspondent Marek Wałkuski asked Trump what lesson Ukraine could learn from that 1980 victory. Trump replied that now there is a similar situation, stressing that negotiations are underway for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump’s Assessment of the Conflict
Trump said, “It’s absurd,” referring to the 25,000 soldiers killed last month. He warned that until a peace agreement is reached, there will be many more fatal casualties.
White House Press Secretary Comments
During a Thursday briefing, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described Trump as tired of talks about ending the war and frustrated with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides. She noted that the administration spent over 30 hours in recent weeks on meetings with Russians, Ukrainians, and Europeans, and urged action instead of further meetings.

