Trump pleads for Biden to make Russia-Ukraine deal, offers to help negotiate

Former President Trump on Wednesday offered to help negotiate a deal to end Russia's now 7-month-old war on Ukraine, following reports of a major natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe appearing to have been sabotaged.

"Be strategic, be smart (brilliant!), get a negotiated deal done NOW," Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.  "Both sides need and want it. The entire World is at stake. I will head up group???" 

Trump also posted: "U.S. 'Leadership' should remain 'cool, calm, and dry' on the SABOTAGE of the Nord Stream Pipelines. The Russia/Ukraine catastrophe should NEVER have happened, and would definitely not have happened if I were President."

About 15 minutes before offering to lead negotiations, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the apparent sabotage of the pipelines "could lead to a major escalation" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict or even to a larger "war."

Russia shut off natural gas to Europe indefinitely earlier this month due to what it said were "mechanical problems" with the Nord Stream pipelines, a set of two gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

The Nord Stream pipelines began to leak on Tuesday and the European Union Council and leaders across the continent have said it appears to be the result of deliberate acts of sabotage.

The pipeline problems come as Russia is escalating its invasion of Ukraine with a "partial" military mobilization and draft.