President Donald Trump was caught telling France’s Emmanuel Macron about a “crazy” comment made by Putin during their recent conversation.
On Monday (August 28), Trump met with Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the UK’s Keir Starmer, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen at the White House to discuss plans to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Just before hosting the summit with NATO and EU leaders, Trump was heard speaking quietly with Macron while waiting for the other dignitaries to arrive.
At first, the two leaders discussed general matters, but what followed surprised many as it was during this conversation that the 79-year-old, unaware of the microphone, made an unexpected remark about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I think he wants to make a deal,” Trump said, referring to the Russian leader, per The Independent. “I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds.”
The comment came just days after Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15, which marked the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since 2019.
Although no formal deal emerged from that summit, the president characterized the meeting as positive and expressed hope that Putin was open to discussions aimed at resolving the four-year-long war, which has devastated Ukraine and strained international relations.
“I’ve known him for a long time, I’ve always had a great relationship with him,” Trump said of Putin on Monday. “I think President Putin wants to find an answer, too. We’ll see.”
However, the context of 47th’s comment raised eyebrows, especially as it suggested that he believed Putin was looking to make a deal specifically for him, a notion that could signal potential shifts in US foreign policy toward Russia.
The White House declined to provide further clarification on Trump’s hot mic moment, instead directing reporters to a recent interview on Fox News in which the president had similar comments about the Putin meeting.
“We spoke very sincerely, I think he wants to see it done,” Trump told host Sean Hannity last week, referring to efforts to end the conflict.
While the conversation between Trump and Macron raised questions about possible deals between the US and Russia, a significant moment occurred during the earlier meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska.
Body language experts analyzed the tense interaction between the two leaders, noting subtle power dynamics during their handshake and throughout their discussion.
Dr. Peter Collett pointed out that Trump’s initial handshake with Putin was full of symbolic meaning. While Putin’s hand pat was described as “tentative,” Trump’s more forceful pat served as a “status reminder,” subtly reinforcing his dominance.
Despite their outward displays of friendliness at the start, the meeting soon showed signs of tension.
Trump, typically known for his confident demeanor, appeared constrained, while Putin exuded confidence with his wide-legged stance. The body language analysis also suggested that he might have been uncomfortable, a stark contrast to his usual bravado.
Things grew more uncomfortable during a press conference when a reporter asked Putin about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
A lip reader later claimed that he called the reporter “ignorant,” while Trump appeared to signal aides nearby.
While Trump’s comments about Putin raised questions about potential compromises, his administration’s position on Ukraine remained largely unchanged, with the president reiterating that the US would continue supporting the country’s defense.
He had previously called for an immediate ceasefire, though his stance appeared to shift somewhat after the Alaska meeting.
Reports suggest that one of the plans discussed could involve Ukraine relinquishing control of the Donbas region, a highly controversial proposal that he seemed open to.
Despite the ongoing tensions and lack of a concrete deal, the US president expressed hope that diplomatic efforts could still lead to peace, and revealed that he intended to speak with Putin again after his meeting with European leaders.
