During a recent press conference, President Donald Trump made headlines after sharing details of a light-hearted yet telling exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When asked by a reporter whether Putin had tried to dissuade him from supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, Trump responded with his signature humor. Mimicking a conversation, he joked,
“What do you think he’s going to say ‘Please sell Tomahawks, I really appreciate it?’ No, he didn’t like that idea at all.”
Trump went on to confirm that he had, in fact, teased Putin during their call.
“I did say, ‘Would you mind if I gave a couple of 2,000 Tomahawks to your opposition?’ He didn’t like the idea. You have to keep things a little light sometimes, but the Tomahawk is a vicious, offensive, incredibly destructive weapon. Nobody wants those aimed at them,” he remarked.
The U.S. president continued joking for another moment before returning to policy matters, saying that it’s only natural for any leader to oppose such weapons being sent to their rival.
Earlier in the day, Trump had posted on Truth Social, sharing that he had a “very productive” phone call with President Putin ahead of an upcoming meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I just concluded my call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and it was a very productive one,” Trump wrote. “President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the great accomplishment of peace in the Middle East, something he said has been dreamed of for centuries.”
Trump added that the success in the Middle East could help advance negotiations toward ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
He also noted that President Putin had personally thanked First Lady Melania Trump for her humanitarian involvement with displaced children affected by conflict, calling her efforts “very appreciated.”
The remarks quickly sparked discussion online, as many observers debated whether Trump’s joking tone toward Putin hinted at confidence in his diplomatic approach or risked deepening tensions over U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
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