Trump Hot-Mic Says Putin ‘Wants to Make a Deal’ Before Ukraine Talks

An open microphone captured U.S. President Donald Trump telling French President Emmanuel Macron that Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants to make a deal for me, as crazy as it sounds" moments before a multilateral meeting on Ukraine at the White House on 18 August. The aside, audible to reporters setting up for the round-table, suggested Trump believes the Kremlin is ready to negotiate directly with him after their one-on-one in Anchorage late last week. The remark comes as Washington prepares a potential trilateral session involving Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. European leaders at the White House meeting, including Macron, have pressed the United States to maintain firm support for Kyiv after the Anchorage talks produced no public concessions from Moscow. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said arrangements for the Putin-Zelensky meeting could be finalised within two weeks, although neither venue nor agenda has been announced.