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Mr Trump was asked whether he considered Mr Putin an enemy and if he believed that the Russian president has territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine.
“It’s possible,” he answered at a press conference at the Nato summit in the Hague. "I consider him a person who I think is misguided," Mr Trump said.
He said Mr Putin “would like to get out of this thing”. “It’s a mess for him”. "He called the other day, and he said, 'Can I help you with Iran?' I said, 'No, you can help me with Russia,” Mr Trump said.
His remarks came as he met with Volodymyr Zelensky at the talks where Nato leaders backed a big increase in defence spending.
Leaders gathered in The Hague for a Nato summit tailor-made for the US president endorsed a higher defence spending goal of 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.
Also at the summit, Mr Trump was asked if the US would supply more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. "We're going to see if we can make some available," he replied.
Trump praises Nato leaders’ ‘historic’ agreement to hike defence spending
European leaders in Nato have agreed to a historic increase in defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP – and praised Donald Trump for driving the uplift.
Secretary general Mark Rutte fawned over the US president for intervening in the conflict between Iran and Israel, likening him to a “daddy” figure overseeing two warring sides and calling the US president “a man of strength” for piling pressure on allies to put more money into security against a backdrop of worsening global tensions and the war in Ukraine.
The new spending pledge – 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence by 2035, and 1.5 per cent on security and resilience measures – was described by Mr Trump as a “monumental win” for the US, Europe, and “Western civilisation”.
Millie Cooke, our political correspondent in The Hague for the Nato summit, reports:
Arpan Rai26 June 2025 04:40
Trump shows warmth as he answers question on US Patriots for Ukraine
US president Donald Trump has left open the possibility of sending Kyiv more US-made Patriot air defence missile systems as he answered a question from a Ukrainian journalist who said that her husband was a frontline soldier in Ukraine.
Mr Trump acknowledged that sending more Patriots would help the Ukrainian cause.
"They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots," Mr Trump said.
"And we're going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We're supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100 per cent effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing,” the US president said.
Mr Trump laid into the US media throughout his news conference but showed unusual warmth toward the Ukrainian reporter.
"That's a very good question," Mr Trump said about the query about Patriots. "And I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it's very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband,” he said.
Arpan Rai26 June 2025 04:27
Trump says 'misguided' Putin might invade countries beyond Ukraine
US president Donald Trump has not rejected the chances of Russian president Vladimir Putin invading other countries beyond Ukraine.
Mr Trump was asked whether he considered Mr Putin an enemy and if he believed that the Russian president has territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine.
Answering the question at a press conference at the Nato summit in the Hague yesterday, Mr Trump said “It’s possible”.
"I consider him a person who I think is misguided," Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump reiterated his belief that Mr Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine that began with Moscow's invasion in February 2022.
"He'd like to get out of this thing. It's a mess for him," Mr Trump said. "He called the other day, and he said, 'Can I help you with Iran?' I said, 'No, you can help me with Russia."'
Arpan Rai26 June 2025 04:19
A recap of events at the Nato summit yesterday
Nato backs big defence spending hike: At a summit in The Hague, Nato leaders agreed to significantly raise defence spending – a key demand from US president Donald Trump – and reaffirmed the alliance’s core commitment to collective defence under Article 5.
Trump claims ‘great victory’: Trump welcomed the new 5 per cent of GDP spending target, saying he hoped it would benefit the US defence industry. He confirmed his backing for Nato’s mutual defence pledge, saying: “If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.”
Macron pushes back on trade threats: French president Emmanuel Macron raised concerns over Trump’s threatened tariffs, saying it was contradictory to increase military spending while risking a trade war. “We can't say we are going to spend more and then launch a trade war,” he said.
Rutte praises Trump’s pressure: Nato secretary general Mark Rutte – hosting the summit in The Hague – said the alliance would become “stronger, fairer and more lethal”, crediting Trump for pushing allies to commit more.
New spending formula unveiled: The new 5 per cent target includes 3.5 per cent for core defence and 1.5 per cent for broader security. Achieving this will be difficult for many European economies.
Zelensky sidelined: Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky attended a pre-summit dinner but was not part of the main Wednesday meeting. He met with Trump separately.
Kremlin criticises Nato: Russia accused the alliance of “rampant militarisation” and demonising Moscow to justify the defence budget surge.
Arpan Rai26 June 2025 04:08
Trump will look at giving Ukraine more Patriot missiles as he calls on Putin to end war
Donald Trump said he is considering sending more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, as he renewed calls on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war.
Mr Trump, who has surrounded himself with isolationist-minded advisers who’ve publicly opposed continued support for Kyiv, responded, “We’ll see what happens” when asked whether the US would contribute anything on top of the $8bn pledged by Nato allies as part of the 32-member bloc’s continued support for Ukraine’s war effort.
Arpan Rai26 June 2025 04:06
