Fred Fleitz, who served as National Security Council chief in the first Trump administration, told Newsmax on Thursday that President Donald Trump is using his success with Middle East diplomacy as a blueprint for resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine, pointing to his persistence and credibility with world leaders.
"This comes down to President Trump's successful diplomacy in bringing peace to the Middle East," Fleitz told "Greg Kelly Reports" and guest host Todd Starnes.
"He's shown a model that could easily be used in Ukraine because he's proven that he is a trustworthy intermediary who will be tough on both sides."
Fleitz, who helped shape Trump's national security strategy in his first term, said Trump's persistence was what secured a peace agreement between Israel and Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists to end a war sparked by the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
"Trump got the deal in the Middle East because he simply didn't give up," Fleitz said. "There was failure after failure. He kept pushing forward.
"He kept sending [special envoy Steve] Witkoff and his other diplomats to the Middle East. And that's what he's going to do with Putin."
Fleitz's comments came hours after Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump wrote on Truth Social he will meet with Putin in Hungary to try to resolve the war in Ukraine, but a date has yet to be determined.
Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
"Success breeds success in foreign policy," said Fleitz, vice chair of American security at the America First Policy Institute. "I think we're off to a good start with this next round of talks."
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