'He wants to make a deal for me': Trump caught on hot mic moment telling Macron about Putin

Trump told Macron on a hot mic that he believes Putin wants to make Ukraine deal "for me." (AP photo)

US President Donald Trump was caught on hot mic quietly telling French President Emmanuel Macron that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin "wants to make a deal” shortly before a multilateral meeting with European leaders began.

While waiting for other world leaders to trickle into the East Room to discuss a security resolution for Ukraine and his recent meeting with Putin, Trump was caught on a hot mic sharing his perspective with Macron.

Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy are looking set for a peace summit after fast-moving talks on Monday between US President Donald Trump and European leaders, focusing on the key issue of long-term security guarantees for Kyiv.

Trump hosted seven European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House for a closed-door multilateral meeting to coordinate on ensuring security guarantees for Kyiv.

During the meeting, a hot mic inadvertently caught Trump telling Macron that he thinks the Russian President "wants to make a deal.”

'I think he wants to make a deal, you understand? As crazy as it sounds'

Trump caught talking on hot mic BEFORE 'official' meeting with European leaders pic.twitter.com/rA3AoiMz8V — RT (@RT_com) August 18, 2025

“I think he [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants to make a deal...I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand that? As crazy as it sounds,” he said in a conversation between the two leaders ahead of the multilateral meeting.

The American President's remark suggested that he believed Putin was inclined to strike an agreement, offering an insight into his recent talks with the Russian leader when they met in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday.

Hopes of a breakthrough alsorose after the American President said he had a phone call with Putin following a "very good" meeting with the Europeans and the Ukrainian president at the White House.