Trump Says He Phoned Putin Privately to Spare European Leaders

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he deliberately stepped out of a White House meeting with European leaders before calling Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that making the call in front of them would have been “disrespectful” to his Russian counterpart. In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump added that Putin had gone “years” without direct contact with either the previous U.S. administration or most European heads of government, a situation he claimed contributed to strained relations. "He wouldn’t talk to people from Europe," Trump said, explaining his decision to place the call privately at about 1 a.m. Moscow time. The remarks followed a multilateral session on Monday that included visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump did not detail the substance of the Putin conversation but described the exchange as expected by both sides. Trump’s explanation is likely to be closely watched in European capitals, where officials have pressed Washington to maintain a united front on Russia amid the continuing conflict in Ukraine.