United States President Donald Trump has jokingly cast doubt on his chances of making heaven, even as he continues to receive global praise for his role in brokering an end to the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel on Monday, Trump reflected on faith and legacy in a characteristically lighthearted tone.

“I’m being a little cute — I don’t think there’s anything going to get me in heaven,” he said with a laugh. “I’m maybe not heaven-bound. I might be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I’m not sure I’ll make it there, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”

The president’s comments came in response to a reporter who referenced his earlier remark that securing peace between Russia and Ukraine could earn him “a ticket to heaven.”

In August, Trump had quipped that successfully ending the Ukraine conflict might “help his case” in divine judgment. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well,” he had said at the time. “But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”

While Trump has been widely commended for helping to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating the release of hostages, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.

The U.S. leader once again blamed the ongoing conflict on what he described as the “rigged” 2020 presidential election, insisting he could have prevented Russia’s invasion had he remained in office.

“I knew Putin very well — I was the apple of his eye,” Trump said. “All the things that have happened never would have happened.”

Earlier this year, Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska — their first face-to-face talks since the 2018 Helsinki summit to discuss the war, though the meeting ended without agreement.

USA Today