U.S. President Donald Trump says he intends to attend the funeral services of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Trump responded to the question about Carter's funeral during a brief appearance with waiting journalists at his Mar-a-Lago get-away in Florida on New Year's Eve. Seated on a couch in front of the resort's ballroom, where he and supporters were about to ring in 2020, Trump was clad in a formal tuxedo.

Asked if he was planning to attend Carter's funeral, Trump replied, "I will be; I will be."

The nation's 39th president died Sunday at the age of 95.

Earlier in the session, a reporter asked Trump if he expected any possible ceasefire to hold in the brutal war that has so far pitted his main political backer, Saudi Arabia, against Iran's closest ally, Yemen. Trump said that he hoped to bring the conflict to a conclusion and that, "We'll see what happens."

Trump was similarly reticent when asked about a possible cease-fire in the war between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, a narrow patch of land that lies just south of Israel. "We'll see what happens," Trump said. "Who knows?"

What the world does know is that Hamas kidnapped an American pastor, a British nurse, and a South African national more than a year ago. Asked about the fate of the hostages, Trump said, "Let's put it this way: They better start getting these hostages back, quickly. It won't take long."

But looking ahead, Trump expressed confidence that the world and the United States will do well in 2020. "We're going to have a great year, a great year. I think 2025 is going to be a great year, also," he chuckled. "We're going to be doing very good."

That, he said, is because "so much hope has come to the world, not just our country. So much hope has come to the world. Many, many happy people. All over. You see it everywhere."

Asked what his hopes for the New Year might be, Trump replied: "Well, I just hope everyone is happy, healthy and having a great time, as we will be."