Ukraine, White House and Trump
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Putin, Ukraine and Russia
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In a whispered conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron at a summit with other European leaders on Aug. 18, the U.S. president seemingly shared that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to end the war in Ukraine in order to hand Trump a victory. The comment was picked up via hot mic, Fox News reported.
Moscow continues to say that the presence of any western troops in Ukraine is unacceptable, however, and accuses Kyiv and European capitals of trying to undermine the attempts of Mr Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin to end the war and rebuild US-Russia relations.
The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump wants to respect the American taxpayer, and isn't interested in writing "blank checks" to support Ukraine.
On Aug. 18, 2025, Trump met European, EU and NATO leaders at the White House to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.