US President Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic, on Monday (Aug 18), moments before the multilateral meeting, where he was heard telling French President Emmanuel Macron that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, wanted to strike a resolution to the war for him.
“I think he [Putin] wants to make a deal,” Trump whispered to Macron. “I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand that? As crazy as it sounds.”
The US president’s candid remark, made in the East Room, provides an insight into his assessment of the meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Trump on a hot mic with Putin: “I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds.”
I’m sorry, WHAT?
pic.twitter.com/guhbqhjyhm
— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) August 18, 2025
Trump’s much-anticipated meeting with Zelenskyy and other European leaders concluded at the White House on Monday (Aug 18).
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Describing the discussions as “very good”, the leaders indicated a possibility of a peace deal between the warring countries, Russia and Ukraine.
European leaders, including Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, flew to Washington to attend the meeting backing Zelenskyy.
Trump confirms talks between Putin and Zelenskyy
Trump said that he has called Putin and has begun setting up a meeting between his Russian counterpart and Zelenskyy.
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Following this, there would be a trilateral meeting including the US president, Trump said.
The location of the talks is yet to be determined.
“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine,” he added.
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Meeting with Putin should be held ‘without any conditions’, says Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy said that he wanted to approach talks with Russia without any preconditions, highlighting that setting terms could lead Moscow to do the same, potentially jeopardising the negotiations.
“That’s why I believe that we must meet without any conditions,” he told reporters.
“We had a truly warm, good and substantial conversation,” Zelenskyy said about his meeting with Trump.
(With inputs from agencies)
