White House Spokesman Responds to Question on Trump and Putin

On Tuesday, White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt addressed a question from New York Times reporter Sean McLeash regarding why President Donald Trump did not call Russian President Vladimir Putin in the presence of other European leaders.

Trump had spoken to Putin on Monday after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and various European leaders. Leavitt didn’t directly respond to McLeash’s inquiry about the absence of a call while other leaders were present.

“If it’s crucial to unify everyone, why didn’t Trump call Putin with the other leaders in the room? He mentioned it being rude, but why is that?” McLeash asked.

“Respectfully, only New York Times reporters would think to ask such things,” Leavitt answered. “The president had just met with these European leaders at the White House, less than 48 hours after being here in America. The readout given to them after the meeting with Putin came out 48 hours later when he returned to the U.S.”

Leavitt also shared a European leader’s quote praising the steps Trump has taken to address the conflict in Ukraine. Zelenskyy noted that he had a “very good conversation” with Trump, while NATO’s executive director, Mark Latte, referred to Trump as a “practical peacemaker,” calling the White House summit a “very successful day” in an interview with Fox News.

“Leaders facing this war on their doorstep really appreciate that this president took the call and shared the Russian perspective with them. This wasn’t something that happened during the previous administration,” Leavitt added.

Moreover, Trump had contacted Zelenskyy following his meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. During that three-hour meeting, Trump expressed hope that agreements could be forged to facilitate peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Back in May, the president announced plans for peace negotiations after a two-hour conversation with Putin, although the Russian president showed reluctance concerning ties with Ukraine. In July, Trump raised the possibility of imposing “severe” tariffs and sanctions on Russia if talks did not progress within 50 days, later compressing that timeline to July 28.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump emphasized his pursuit of peace between Russia and Ukraine, asserting it would have been “impossible” under the leadership of former President Joe Biden.