During a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump raised concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin might have ambitions to invade other countries beyond Ukraine. When asked whether he views Putin as an adversary and if he believes the Russian leader seeks additional territorial gains, Trump candidly stated, “It’s possible.”
Reflecting on his view of Putin, Trump remarked, “I consider him a person who I think is misguided.” Additionally, Trump revealed that Putin recently reached out to offer assistance in resolving the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and to facilitate dialogue between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. “He called the other day (and) said: ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said no, you can help me with Russia,” Trump recounted.
The President emphasized that he maintains frequent communication with Putin, particularly concerning the situation in Ukraine. “I know one thing. He would like to settle. He would like to get out of this. It’s a mess for him. I said: ‘You help me get a settlement with you,’ and I think we’re going to be doing that soon,” Trump indicated to reporters.
As he prepares for a potential second term in office, Trump previously claimed he could negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within 24 hours, although he noted at the NATO summit that this statement was made with sarcasm. He admitted that the diplomatic process is “more difficult than anyone had thought” and that “Putin is more difficult.”
Trump described his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the summit as “good,” and expressed a willingness to explore the possibility of the U.S. providing Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the future.
During the two-day summit, all 32 NATO allies committed to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade, a development Trump characterized as a “big win” for the United States and the West.