Trump doesn't answer on whether Ukraine should win against Russia during ABC News debate

HISTORIC ABC NEWS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TONIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE HERE. AND I WANT TO TURN TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE. WE'RE NOW 2 1/2 YEARS INTO THIS CONFLICT. MR. PRESIDENT, IT HAS BEEN THE POSITION OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION THAT WE MUST DEFEND UKRAINE FROM RUSSIA, FROM VLADIMIR PUTIN, TO DEFEND THEIR SOVEREIGNTY, THEIR DEMOCRACY, THAT IT'S IN AMERICA'S BEST INTEREST TO DO SO, ARGUING THAT IF PUTIN WINS HE MAY BE EMBOLDENED TO MOVE EVEN FURTHER INTO OTHER COUNTRIES. YOU HAVE SAID YOU WOULD SOLVE THIS WAR IN 24 HOURS. YOU SAID SO JUST BEFORE THE BREAK TONIGHT. HOW EXACTLY WOULD YOU DO THAT? AND I WANT TO ASK YOU A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION TONIGHT. DO YOU WANT UKRAINE TO WIN THIS WAR? >> I WANT THE WAR TO STOP. I WANT TO SAVE LIVES THAT ARE BEING USELESSLY -- PEOPLE BEING KILLED BY THE MILLIONS. IT'S THE MILLIONS. IT'S SO MUCH WORSE THAN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE GETTING, WHICH ARE FAKE NUMBERS. LOOK, WE'RE IN FOR 250 BILLION OR MORE BECAUSE THEY DON'T ASK EUROPE, WHICH IS A MUCH BIGGER BENEFICIARY TO GETTING THIS THING DONE THAN WE ARE. THEY'RE IN FOR $150 BILLION LESS BECAUSE BIDEN AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK EUROPE LIKE I DID WITH NATO. THEY PAID BILLIONS AND BILLIONS, HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WHEN I SAID EITHER YOU PAY UP OR WE'RE NOT GOING TO PROTECT YOU ANYMORE. SO THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DON'T LIKE ME AS MUCH AS THEY LIKE WEAK PEOPLE. BUT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE'RE IN FOR 250 TO 275 BILLION. THEY'RE INTO 100 TO 150. THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO EQUALIZE. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO GET THE WAR SETTLED. I KNOW ZELENSKYY VERY WELL AND I KNOW PUTIN VERY WELL. I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. AND THEY RESPECT YOUR PRESIDENT. OKAY? THEY RESPECT ME. THEY DON'T RESPECT BIDEN. HOW WOULD YOU RESPECT HIM? WHY? FOR WHAT REASON? HE HASN'T EVEN MADE A PHONE CALL IN TWO YEARS TO PUTIN. HASN'T SPOKEN TO ANYBODY. THEY DON'T EVEN TRY AND GET IT. THAT IS A WAR THAT'S DYING TO BE SETTLED. I WILL GET IT SETTLED BEFORE I EVEN BECOME PRESIDENT. IF I WIN, WHEN I'M PRESIDENT-ELECT, AND WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL SPEAK TO ONE, I'LL SPEAK TO THE OTHER, I'LL GET THEM TOGETHER. THAT WAR WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. AND IN FACT WHEN I SAW PUTIN AFTER I LEFT, UNFORTUNATELY LEFT BECAUSE OUR COUNTRY HAS GONE TO HELL, BUT AFTER I LEFT WHEN I SAW HIM BUILDING UP SOLDIERS, HE DID IT AFTER I LEFT, I SAID OH, HE MUST BE NEGOTIATING. IT MUST BE A GOOD STRONG POINT OF NEGOTIATION. WELL, IT WASN'T BECAUSE BIDEN HAD NO IDEA HOW TO TALK TO HIM. HE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO STOP IT. AND NOW YOU HAVE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DEAD AND IT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE AND IT COULD LEAD TO WORLD WAR 3. DON'T KID YOURSELF, DAVID. WE'RE PLAYING WITH WORLD WAR 3. AND WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF HE'S -- WHERE IS OUR PRESIDENT? WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF HE'S THE PRESIDENT. >> AND JUST TO CLARIFY HERE -- >> THEY THREW HIM OUT OF A CAMPAIGN LIKE A DOG. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW, IS HE OUR PRESIDENT? BUT WE HAVE A PRESIDENT -- >> MR. PRESIDENT -- >> -- THAT DOESN'T KNOW HE'S ALIVE. >> YOUR TIME IS UP. JUST TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION, DO YOU BELIEVE IT'S IN THE U.S. BEST INTERESTS FOR UKRAINE TO WIN THIS WAR? YES OR NO? >> I THINK IT'S IN THE U.S. BEST INTEREST TO GET THIS WAR FINISHED AND JUST GET IT DONE. >> ALL RIGHT. >> NEGOTIATE A DEAL. BECAUSE WE HAVE TO STOP ALL OF THESE HUMAN LIVES FROM BEING DESTROYED. >> I WANT TO TAKE THIS TO VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS. I WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE IN THIS MOMENT. BUT ALSO AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF IF ELECTED HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN AND WOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND THE FORMER PRESIDENT YOU'RE NOT RUNNING AGAINST JOE BIDEN, YOU'RE RUNNING AGAINST ME. I BELIEVE THE REASON THAT DONALD TRUMP SAYS THAT THIS WAR WOULD BE OVER WITHIN 24 HOURS IS BECAUSE HE WOULD JUST GIVE IT UP. AND THAT'S NOT WHO WE ARE AS AMERICANS. LET'S UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED HERE. I ACTUALLY MET WITH ZELENSKYY A FEW DAYS BEFORE RUSSIA INVADED, TRIED THROUGH FORCE TO CHANGE TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES TO DEFY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL RULES AND NORMS, WHICH IS THE IMPORTANCE OF SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. AND I MET WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY. I SHARED WITH HIM AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE ABOUT HOW HE COULD DEFEND HIMSELF. DAYS LATER I WENT TO NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, TO POLAND AND ROMANIA. AND THROUGH THE WORK THAT I AND OTHERS DID WE BROUGHT 50 COUNTRIES TOGETHER TO SUPPORT UKRAINE IN ITS RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE. AND BECAUSE OF OUR SUPPORT, BECAUSE OF THE AIR DEFENSE, THE AMMUNITION, THE ARTILLERY, THE JAVELINS, THE ABRAMS TANKS THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED, UKRAINE STANDS AS AN INDEPENDENT AND FREE COUNTRY. IF DONALD TRUMP WERE PRESIDENT, PUTIN WOULD BE SITTING IN KYIV RIGHT NOW. AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN. BECAUSE PUTIN'S AGENDA IS NOT JUST ABOUT UKRAINE. UNDERSTAND WHY THE EUROPEAN ALLIES AND OUR NATO ALLIES ARE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER PRESIDENT AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GREATEST MILITARY ALLIANCE THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, WHICH IS NATO. AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO PRESERVE THE ABILITY OF ZELENSKYY AND THE UKRAINIANS TO FIGHT FOR THEIR INDEPENDENCE. OTHERWISE, PUTIN WOULD BE SITTING IN KYIV WITH HIS EYES ON THE REST OF EUROPE. STARTING WITH POLAND. AND WHY DON'T YOU TELL THE 800,000 POLISH AMERICANS RIGHT HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA HOW QUICKLY YOU WOULD GIVE UP FOR THE SAKE OF FAVOR AND WHAT YOU THINK IS A FRIENDSHIP WITH WHAT IS KNOWN TO BE A DICTATOR WHO WOULD EAT YOU FOR LUNCH. >> VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, THANK YOU. WE'VE HEARD FROM BOTH OF YOU ON UKRAINE TONIGHT. AFGHANISTAN CAME UP IN THE LAST HOUR -- I WANTED HER TO RESPOND TO SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER. >> I HAVE TO RESPOND -- >> PLAELS, I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE HERE. >> PUTIN WOULD BE SITTING IN MOSCOW AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE LOST 300,000 MEN AND WOMEN. BUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SITTING IN MOSCOW -- >> IN -- >> QUIET, PLEASE. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SITTING IN MOSCOW MUCH HAPPIER THAN HE IS RIGHT NOW. BUT EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT A THING THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE. HE'S GOT NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THEY DON'T EVER TALK ABOUT THAT. HE'S GOT NUCLEAR WEAPONS. NOBODY EVER THINKS ABOUT THAT. SKPEENLTLY MAYBE HE'LL USE THEM. MAYBE HE HASN'T BEEN THAT THREATENING. BUT HE DOES HAVE THAT. SOMETHING WE DON'T EVEN LIKE TO TALK ABOUT. NOBODY LIKES TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND, THEY SENT HER TO NEGOTIATE PEACE BEFORE THIS WAR STARTED. THREE DAYS LATER HE WENT IN AND HE STARTED THE WAR BECAUSE EVERYTHING THEY SAID WAS WEAK AND STUPID. THEY SAID THE WRONG THINGS. THAT WAR SHOULD HAVE NEVER STARTED. SHE WAS THE EMISSARY. THEY SENT HER IN TO NEGOTIATE WITH ZELENSKYY AND PUTIN. >> THAT'S NOT TRUE. >> AND SHE DID. AND THE WAR STARTED THREE DAYS LATER. >> VICE PRESIDENT -- >> AND THAT'S THE KIND OF TALENT WE HAVE WITH HER. SHE'S WORSE THAN BIDEN. IN MY OPINION -- I THINK HE'S THE WORST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. SHE GOES DOWN AS THE WORST VICE PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. SHE IS A HORRIBLE NEGOTIATOR. THEY SENT HER IN TO NEGOTIATE. AS SOON AS THEY LEFT PUTIN DID THE INVASION. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, THANK YOU. YOU SAID SHE WENT TO NEGOTIATE WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, HAVE YOU EVER MET VLADIMIR PUT SNIN CAN YOU CLARIFY TONIGHT? >> YET AGAIN, I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS DEBATE YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A BUNCH OF LIES COMING FROM THIS FELLA. AND THAT IS ANOTHER ONE. WHEN I WENT TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY, I'VE NOW MET WITH HIM OVER FIVE TIMES, THE REALITY IS IT HAS BEEN ABOUT STANDING AS AMERICA ALWAYS SHOULD, AS A LEADER, UPHOLDING INTERNATIONAL RULES AND NORMS. AS IA LEADER WHO SHOWS STRENGTH UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ALLIANCES WE HAVE AROUND THE WORLD ARE DEPENDENT ON OUR ABILITY TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR FRIENDS AND NOT FAVOR OUR ENEMIES BECAUSE YOU ADORE STRONGMEN INSTEAD OF CARING ABOUT DEMOCRACY. AND THAT IS VERY MUCH WHAT IS AT STAKE HERE. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS COMMANDER IN CHIEF. AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO RELY ON A PRESIDENT WHO UNDERSTANDS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AMERICA'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT THERE IS STABILITY AND ENSURING WE STAND UP FOR OUR PRINCIPLES AND NOT SELL THEM FOR THE BENEFIT OF PERSONAL FLATTERY. >> WE'VE TALKED ABOUT UKRAINE AND VLADIMIR PUTIN. I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT AFGHANISTAN. IT CAME UP IN THE FIRST HOUR OF THIS DEBATE. I WANT TO MOVE ON TO AFGHANISTAN. >> STOLTENBERG SAID TRUMP DID THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE EVER SEEN, HE GOT THESE COUNTRIES, THE 28 COUNTRIES AT THE TIME, TO PAY UP. HE SAID I'VE NEVER SEEN -- HE'S THE HEAD OF NATO. HE SAID I'VE NEVER SEEN -- FOR YEARS WE WERE PAYING ALMOST ALL OF NATO. WE WERE BEING RIPPED OFF BY EUROPEAN NATIONS BOTH ON TRADE AND ON NATO. I GOT THEM TO PAY UP BY SAYING ONE OF THE STATEMENTS YOU MADE BEFORE, IF YOU DON'T PAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO PROTECT YOU. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP -- >> OTHERWISE WE