Hot Mic Reveals Trump’s Striking Remark About Putin During Zelenskyy Meeting
Former U.S. President Donald Trump met with a group of European leaders in Washington on Sunday, just days after his face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The back-to-back meetings have fueled speculation that a breakthrough in the Ukraine war could finally be within reach.
Trump and Putin sat down on August 15 to discuss a potential path toward ending the war that has stretched on for more than three years. While no peace agreement was finalized, Trump described the talks as “very good” and said there was now “a very good chance” a deal could be made.
Putin used the opportunity to revisit what he called a “historic mistake” by the previous U.S. administration. “In 2022, during my last contact with the former administration, I warned that the situation should not be pushed to the point of no return,” Putin said, clearly pointing a finger at Joe Biden. “I said quite directly it was a big mistake. Today, when President Trump says if he had been in office there would be no war, I can confirm that this is true.”
Trump’s Hot Mic Moment
Two days later, during a meeting with European counterparts including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump was caught on a hot mic making a telling comment. In audio obtained by CBS News, Trump is heard saying quietly:
“I think he wants to make a deal for me, as crazy as it sounds.”
The “he” is widely believed to be Putin — suggesting Trump believes Moscow may be willing to negotiate directly with him in a way it hasn’t with others.
Zelenskyy’s Stronger Showing in Washington
This latest round of discussions marked a sharp contrast to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s solo trip to Washington earlier this year, which ended with little visible progress. This time, Zelenskyy arrived with Macron and Starmer by his side, underscoring Europe’s united front.
Starmer described the White House talks as “good and constructive,” emphasizing that “real progress” had been made. He pointed to two key outcomes:
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Security Commitments: A stronger coalition involving the U.S. and European allies to reinforce security guarantees for Ukraine.
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Direct Talks with Russia: An agreement that Putin and Zelenskyy will enter bilateral negotiations, with Trump later joining a trilateral framework.
Starmer stressed that Ukraine must remain central to decisions involving territory, prisoner exchanges, and the return of children taken during the war.
“The outcomes today were positive,” Starmer said. “There was a clear sense of unity between President Zelenskyy, the European leaders, and President Trump. We have made real progress.”