Trump Hot-Mic Moment: “I Think Putin Wants to Make a Deal for Me”
During a candid hot-mic exchange, US President Donald Trump suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be looking to strike a deal on the Ukraine conflict with him personally in mind. Whispering to French President Emmanuel Macron just before a high-level summit with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said, “I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand that? As crazy as it sounds.”
The comment came ahead of discussions on potential peace measures and security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump later indicated his willingness to directly participate in the negotiations, telling reporters, “And if you’d like, I’ll go to that meeting.” Trump reassured Zelenskyy that the United States would support security guarantees for Ukraine in any peace arrangement with Russia, though details of US involvement are yet to be clarified.
The hot-mic moment occurred during a White House summit where Trump hosted Zelenskyy and several European leaders, just days after his meeting with Putin in Alaska. “When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” Trump said. “European countries are the first line of defense because they’re there, but we’ll help them out.”
Zelenskyy welcomed the assurances, calling them “a major step forward,” and noted that the guarantees should be formalized within the next week to 10 days. He also confirmed Ukraine had offered to purchase roughly $90 billion in US defense equipment.
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