President Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic speaking to French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. He said, “I think he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds.” Many people believe he was talking about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump, caught on a hot mic about Putin: “I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds.” pic.twitter.com/Z9Yo6BKny0
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 18, 2025
This happened just before Trump met a group of European leaders at the White House. They were there to discuss Ukraine, security, and Trump’s recent meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday. This was Trump’s first meeting with Putin since 2019. For months, he has tried to bring Russia to the peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
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Trump has called the Alaska meeting positive, even though no official deal was reached. On Monday, he told reporters, “I’ve known him for a long time, I’ve always had a great relationship with him. I think President Putin wants to find an answer, too. We’ll see.” His words made clear that he believes he can influence Putin personally, even on big global issues.
Some observers noted that Trump may be open to Ukraine giving up parts of the Donbas region to Russia. This idea is very controversial. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Its goal was to take land that once belonged to the U.S.S.R. Putin claimed the war was meant to protect Russians in Donbas from Ukrainians he called Nazis. Ukraine and its allies have rejected this claim.
Before meeting Putin, Trump had insisted that an immediate ceasefire was necessary. After the meeting, he seemed to change his approach. Now, his focus appears to be on encouraging Putin to come to peace talks, even if it means Ukraine may have to give up some land. This shift surprised many critics.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House on Monday to learn more about Trump’s discussion with Putin. Other world leaders were also present, including French President Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Rutte. They all wanted to hear Trump’s account and discuss ways to support Ukraine.
Reports say that Russia suggested the U.S. and Europe could give security guarantees to Ukraine. Trump confirmed that the United States would support Ukraine but did not give details about what the guarantees would include.
Featured image via X screengrab
