RUSSIA NEGOTIATIONS: Trump says Ukraine deal may be getting closer

SPECIAL, TOO. IT'S REAL GOOD. >> Will: REAL GOOD, LOVE THAT. NO OVERSTATEMENT, JUST A SIMPLE. SALES PITCH. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SPEAKING. LET'S LISTEN IN. >> President Trump: I DON'T. THINK IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO --. >> -- WHY ARE PERSONNEL BEING. ASKED TO LEAVE THEIR POSTS IN. THE MIDDLE EAST? >> President Trump: I WOULDN'T.

KNOW THAT. >> IN YOUR CAMPAIGN FOR DARLENE. GRAHAM, WHAT HAS SHE SAID TO YOU. ABOUT THOSE DISTINCTIONS THAT. HER BROTHER FOUGHT HARD FOR? >> President Trump: WE HAVE A. GENTLEMAN COMING HOME FROM. RUSSIA THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AFTER. FOR YEARS. HE WAS CAPTURED OR TAKEN DURING. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF I WERE. PRESIDENT, BUT HE WAS TAKEN, AND. HE'S A HIGHLY RESPECTED MAN. MR. HUBBARD. STEPHEN HUBBARD, AND WE WERE IN. THE MIDST OF NEGOTIATING, AND A.

LOT OF STUPID PEOPLE SAID AND. PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW HOW LIFE. WORKS, THEY SAID, WHY AREN'T YOU. PUTTING RUSSIAN SANCTIONS ON ALL. OF THIS IN THE MIDST OF A. NEGOTIATION TO TRY AND GET A. LONG TERM HOSTAGE BACK FROM. RUSSIA. IF I WOULD HAVE DONE THAT, YOU. WOULD NOT HAVE MR. HUBBARD. COMING BACK. RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, AND YOU. DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, YOU'RE FAKE. NEWS, CNN, LOOK, RIGHT NOW YOU. HAVE A MAN THAT'S BEAUTIFULLY. FLYING FROM RUSSIA TO WHEREVER. HE'S LANDING IN THE UNITED. STATES.

THAT I GOT OUT, BECAUSE I HAD A. VERY GOOD AND VERY FAST. NEGOTIATION WITH PRESIDENT. PUTIN. IF YOU WOULD HAVE PUT THOSE. SANCTIONS ON, OR WHATEVER YOU. WANT TO CALL THEM, YOU COULD. FORGET ABOUT HIM. YOU WOULD NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN. HE WOULD BE BACK I IN JAIL FOR. THINGS. THE OTHER THING, VERY IMPORTANT, WE'RE NEGOTIATING RUSSIA RIGHT. NOW ON UKRAINE. WE'RE MAYBE CLOSE TO A DEAL FOR. THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME. WE'RE MAYBE CLOSE TO A DEAL. WHEN YOU'RE CLOSE TO A DEAL AND. YOU HAVE VERY DELICATE. NEGOTIATIONS YOU DON'T PUT.

SANCTIONS ON. AND THE OTHER THING, WE HAVE. DECIMATED IRAN. RUSSIA HAS HAD VERY LITTLE INPUT. INTO IRAN. THEY HAVE -- CERTAINLY THEY. COULD HAVE DONE A LOT MORE BUT. I'M NOT SURE THEY DID ALMOST. ANYTHING. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO. TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALSO. SO, WE'VE BEATEN IRAN. WE CONTINUE TO BEAT IRAN AND. RUSSIA AND CHINA, FRANKLY, HAVE. NOT BEEN MUCH OF A PLAYER AND WE. APPRECIATE THAT. SO THE PEOPLE THAT SAY, OH, LET'S PUT SANCTIONS ON -- I HAVE.

THE RIGHT TO DO THEM AT ANY DAY. IF THEY BEHAVE BADLY -- IF. THEY -- YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. YOU'RE A LOW I.Q. PERSON, YOU'RE. A DUMMY AND YOU WORK FOR CNN. LET ME TELL YOU, IF I'M. NEGOTIATING TO GET A MAN BACK, A. MAN THAT WE'VE WANTED BACK FOR. YEARS, A MAN THAT WAS A PRISONER. IN SIBERIA OR SOME PLACE IN. RUSSIA AND WE'RE GETTING HIM. BACK BECAUSE OF ME, IT SHOULD. NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, BUT IT. SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK.

DURING BIDEN BECAUSE HE WAS. THERE DURING BIDEN. HE WAS CAPTURED OR TAKEN DURING. BIDEN. WHEN YOU'RE NEGOTIATING THAT, AND YOU'RE DROPPING, AND I KNOW. THAT I'M DOING IT, BECAUSE A LOT. OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW, AND THEY. SAY, OH, LET'S PUT SANCTIONS ON. RUSSIA, THE NEGOTIATION WOULD. OBVIOUSLY COME IMMEDIATELY TO AN. END. SO USE YOUR HEAD. [CROSS TALKING]. >> THERE ARE REPORTS --.

>> President Trump: I DON'T. KNOW. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST. THINGS -- I THINK IT'S ONE OF. THE GREATEST -- I THINK IT'S ONE. OF THE GREATEST THINGS WE'VE. DONE. WE'VE STOPPED IRAN FROM HAVING A. NUCLEAR WEAPON. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT. WE'VE DONE. IT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE TO DO. IT BECAUSE NO OTHER PRESIDENT. WAS WILLING TO DO IT. AND IF WE DIDN'T DO IT IRAN. WOULD RIGHT NOW HAVE ALREADY. USED MASSIVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. [CROSS TALKING].

>> President Trump: WHAT? >> STARLINK AND STAR SHIELD --. >> President Trump: I WASN'T. INVOLVED. >> DID ELON MUSK ORDER IT? >> I DON'T KNOW WHO DID IT BUT I. WAS NOT INVOLVED. >> HOW IS --. [INAUDIBLE]. HUBBARD NOT GIVING SOMETHING FOR. RUSSIA? >> President Trump: ARE YOU A. STUPID PERSON WHO DO YOU WORK. FOR? YOU'RE A STUPID PERSON AND, BY. THE WAY, YOUR NETWORK IS WORST.

OF AL. [INAUDIBLE]. >> President Trump.