Trump, thinking the mic was off…"Putin negotiating for me"

Donald Trump, President of the United States, stated during a White House meeting for ending the Ukraine war that Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, "wants to negotiate for me." The remarks were recorded while the live broadcast microphone was on, unbeknownst to Trump.

The moment when President Trump said this to Emmanuel Macron, President of France, ahead of a meeting with European leaders at the White House on the 18th (local time) was captured on video.

It is interpreted to mean that President Putin agreed to a peace negotiation for Trump himself. Trump is reportedly hoping to win the Nobel Peace Prize through the peace negotiations.

Earlier, President Trump referred to the outcome of the US-Russia summit in Alaska, claiming that Putin accepted security guarantees for Ukraine. Instead, Trump said NATO membership was excluded, and he proposed a guarantee at the level of Article 5 of NATO (collective defense clause). He also mentioned that territorial exchanges considering the front lines should be discussed, but added that this is an issue for Zelensky and the Ukrainian people to decide.

European leaders present at the meeting, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, praised Trump, saying that "security guarantees for Ukraine are a prerequisite for peace." The NATO Secretary General also described it as a "breakthrough breaking the deadlock" and highly commended it.

The New York Times and CNN, among others, pointed out that "the praise of European leaders sounded like flattery towards Trump," and criticized that Trump was trying to present his own achievements through a hasty peace agreement.

Hyunbo Shin, Hankyung.com Reporter, greaterfool@hankyung.com