White House Defends Private Trump-Putin Call, Rebukes NYT Question

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sparred with a New York Times correspondent during the 19 Aug briefing when pressed on why President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin privately rather than in front of visiting European leaders. Leavitt called the inquiry “a question only a reporter from The New York Times would ask,” and said Trump considered it disrespectful to conduct the conversation with Putin while other heads of state were present. She added that the president subsequently provided the European delegation, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with a detailed readout of the discussion. The call took place a day after Trump’s in-person meeting with Putin in Alaska and immediately before a White House session aimed at advancing talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Leavitt said Trump’s direct engagement has opened channels between Moscow and Kyiv, although no concrete agreements have yet been announced.