During a key White House meeting with European leaders, a hot mic captured Donald Trump’s comments about Vladimir Putin, adding intrigue to the ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Read more for insights into the diplomatic talks and key outcomes from the summit.
Yesterday, all eyes were on the White House as former U.S. President Donald Trump hosted several European leaders to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. The meeting, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was part of Trump’s continuing efforts to mediate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Just a week earlier, Trump had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they held a private meeting for three hours. While no ceasefire terms were agreed upon, Trump insisted that significant progress had been made in their discussions.
HOT MIC: Trump tells Macron, “I think he (Putin) wants to make a deal for me.”
No, Donald. The only thing Putin wants to do is to use you like the useful idiot you are. pic.twitter.com/ydzgwY2dIe— Lincoln Square (@LincolnSquareHQ) August 19, 2025
The atmosphere was charged as Zelenskyy, the resolute leader fighting against the Russian invasion, sat down with Trump and other European leaders, including UK’s Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. The roundtable discussion was centered on finding a way to bring the war to an end. Many had concerns that Trump might be willing to make too many concessions to Putin to achieve a deal—a deal he claimed he could resolve in 24 hours before winning the presidency.
The presence of key European figures at the meeting, however, indicated strong support for Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s stance on not ceding territory to Russia. While Putin’s terms were seen as unreasonable, Trump, who positioned himself as the mediator, expressed confidence in reaching a deal.
During the meeting, a hot mic picked up Trump’s comments about Putin, stating: “I think he wants to make a deal for me, as crazy as it sounds.” It was understood that Trump was referring to Putin.
Following the summit, Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour Party, described the discussions as yielding “real progress.” He mentioned the strong unity between European leaders, Trump, and Zelenskyy during the meeting. Starmer hinted that the key outcomes were a bilateral agreement between Putin and Zelenskyy, followed by a trilateral conversation involving Trump.
Starmer also emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s involvement in discussions about critical issues like territory, prisoner exchanges, and the return of displaced children. He concluded that the meeting had resulted in positive outcomes, with tangible progress made on several fronts.
