A hot mic moment on Monday captured US President Donald Trump whispering to French President Emmanuel Macron that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to negotiate.
“I think he ‘Putin’ wants to make a deal,” Trump told Macron in the East Room of the White House as cameras rolled. “I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand that? As crazy as it sounds.”
Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting
The remark came as Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and seven European leaders gathered before the press for a joint appearance ahead of their closed-door discussions.
During the same exchange, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was heard thanking Trump. “Thank you for being so fair,” she told the U.S. president as microphones continued recording.
BREAKING: President Trump is caught on a hot mic telling Emmanuel Macron that Putin wants to make a deal for Trump.
Seriously? Is Trump that gullible?
Putin is playing Trump. pic.twitter.com/10Vu3XuA1Y
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) August 18, 2025
The incident occurred just before the leaders began what were described as critical talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Trump-Putin in Alaska
The hastily arranged summit came only days after Trump met privately with Putin. The US president has since argued that the responsibility now lies with Zelenskyy to consider concessions that, according to Trump, could bring the conflict to a close.
European leaders, who had been left out of Friday’s meeting between Trump and Putin, also attended Monday’s meeting. They were there to secure the security of Ukraine without allowing any wider Russian attack against Europe.
Also Read: Tump-Zelensky Meeting At White House: Could This Face-Off Finally End The Ukraine War?
What EU Leaders Said
The White House talks were “constructive,” Zelenskyy said, adding that they touched on “sensitive issues including security guarantees.” He also expressed optimism regarding the possibility of trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeated that in agreeing to have guarantees and organizing a trilateral summit with Moscow, it would be a “historic” move.
Germany, France Demand Ceasefire
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz demanded that a ceasefire should come before talks with Russia. “Let’s work on that and let’s try to put pressure on Russia,” he said to Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron backed Merz’s position, underlining that the matter was not just one of Ukraine but the security of Europe as a whole.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni underlined the importance to guarantee that any agreement avoid future escalations. “How to be sure that it won’t happen again, which is the precondition of every kind of peace,” she stated.
NATO, EU Leaders Highlight Humanitarian Concerns
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the need to prevent Russia’s attacks against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen chimed in that the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children should continue to be a priority. “As a mother and grandmother, every single child should go back to its family,” she stated.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb reminded the gathering of his country’s proximity to Russia. “I might come from a small country, but we have a long border with Russia,” he noted, adding that he believed more progress on Ukraine had been made in the past two weeks than in the last three years.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
