United States Mission to the United Nations
Ambassador Mike Waltz
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
September 24, 2025
AS DELIVERED
BRIAN KILMEADE: Meanwhile President Trump is saying, quote, in a huge truth social post, I’ll take an excerpt. “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of their, Ukraine’s back in its original form.” Here to discuss this, is Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, in his first interview since being sworn in officially. Ambassador, congratulations.
AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ: Thanks Brian.
KILMEADE: You were in the eye of the storm. The change in positions of President Trump to where he is right now with President Zelenskyy. How would you characterize it?
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Well, I think you’re seeing, the President’s frustration and disappointment, frankly, with Putin. He has made innumerable calls. We had the summits in Saudi Arabia, in Turkey, in Alaska, obviously, and look, at the end of the day, Putin has to end this war. The President has made it very clear. His intent, and what you’re seeing now is you’re seeing, with the President’s urging, you’re seeing Europe increasingly stepping up. They’re now committing 5 percent of their GDP, which for years, it was not only, it wasn’t even just half, it was just a third that was meeting the bare minimum of 2 percent.
So, they’re stepping up, they’re buying our weapons, they’re taking more responsibility for their security, and eventually, one way or another, Putin’s going to get the message. And one other point, Brian, that I think is, that we have to hammer – and the President hammered home in his speech yesterday – Europe can’t be buying Russian oil and gas at the same time they’re demanding help to fight this war. That has to stop.
KILMEADE: And do you also believe we have to lift the restrictions on the weapons we give Ukraine and let them hit the country that invaded them with long range rockets?
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Well, I’ll leave that to – look, I’ll leave that to the President, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, as they’re working that out with NATO, both NATO, and the Ukrainians on those restrictions, but the broader piece here is that the President is going to do whatever it takes, and he’s going to shift positions if he needs to, to get this war to end.
KILMEADE: And that’s pretty clear. He’s open to listening to all sides. And I think he’s building a bond with Zelenskyy. Take a look at where the current battle lines are, and you know the borders from the invasion. This is where we stand right now in the war. This is what they’re looking to push back on, and this is the line, pretty much that Ukraine has held. Now look, Mike, if you – Ambassador, if you will – at the places in which they breach the airspace of NATO allies. This has not happened before. The President yesterday said this about what he recommends our allies do:
QUESTION: Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they entered their airspace?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes, I do.
KILMEADE: What do you think – how would Russia digest that statement?
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Well, number one, it’s common sense, coming from the President. We talked about this in my first Security Council meeting, which was just Monday that the Estonians called, and between the violations of Romanian airspace, Polish airspace, and now, Estonian airspace, I, look, I think Putin, the Russians, should take the message from the President. He’s not messing around. He’s incredibly serious. The Iranians learned painfully, that he will use sticks as well as carrots.
KILMEADE: Will you bring that message to the Russian ambassador in the UN?
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: We just brought that message with the Russians present just yesterday.
KILMEADE: Hope they got it. How do you see your mission at the UN? The President in his speech outlined how let down he is, and we are as a country, by the way, the UN is not taking advantage of the Charter they were given in the 1940s. What are you recommending they do, what has to change?
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Well, number one, they need to stop doing, like we’ve seen in our own government, and we saw with USAID and others, they need to stop all of this woke nonsense. There are seven UN agencies focused on climate change. There was a commission called the George Floyd Commission, where Biden allowed UN investigators to come into U.S. cities and pass judgment on our judges and policing with countries like North Korea and Venezuela weighing in. They need to get, as the President has said, they need to get back to basics, stopping wars, preventing wars, helping him – as the Secretary-General pledged yesterday – helping him craft these peace deals. And then, you know, separately, there has to be – there’s some people saying, just get the heck out, walk away – but there has to be one place in the world where everybody can get together and talk. The President had 150 world leaders there yesterday, and he powered through the teleprompter nonsense, but 150 world leaders listening to him to his vision on immigration, on energy independence, and on his vision for world peace.
KILMEADE: So, Jeane Kirkpatrick really defined her career at that position, I think Nikki Haley made a huge impact as Ambassador. What impact can you make in this position?
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Well, of course, my President, excuse me, my priorities will be the President’s priorities and Secretary Rubio’s priorities, but this is a place where we have countries that have presence here at the UN that don’t even in Washington, D.C. It’s a place where we can talk if the President wants to, to the Venezuelans, to the Cubans, the Europeans, to developing African nations, of course, the Russians and Chinese and others. So, this is a President of peace. He absolutely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, and the UN can and should be a forum where we can engage and actually get things done.
KILMEADE: And if you could relay that to us here, we’re just now across, just across the city, and it’s a quick ride. When the President’s not in town and the UN’s not in town. Congratulations on the position, Ambassador.
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Thanks.
KILMEADE: Great to see you.
AMBASSADOR WALTZ: Appreciate it.