White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump on Tuesday after a reporter from The New York Times questioned why Trump did not take a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin in front of other European leaders.
Trump called Putin on Monday following meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European officials to arrange a trilateral meeting involving both leaders. The New York Times’ Shawn McCreesh asked why Trump didn’t take the call while other leaders were present, suggesting it might have been disrespectful to delay.
Leavitt responded sharply, saying, “With all due respect, only a reporter from The New York Times would ask a question like that, Sean.” She emphasized that Trump met with European leaders at the White House 48 hours after his meeting with Putin and provided them with a detailed readout of the discussion.
Leavitt cited praise from European leaders, including Zelenskyy, who called the conversation with Trump “very good,” and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who described Trump as a “pragmatic peacemaker” and the White House summit as “a very successful day.”
She argued that the European officials appreciated Trump’s approach, noting it was something “not done during the previous administration,” highlighting that the president personally briefed allies on Russia’s stance.
Trump also called Zelenskyy after his meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, where he met with Putin for three hours and expressed optimism about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The president had announced in May that peace negotiations would begin following a two-hour call with Putin, though the Russian president remained hesitant. In July, Trump warned of “severe” tariffs and sanctions if Russia did not engage, initially giving a 50-day deadline later shortened to ten days. During his 2024 campaign, Trump stressed that peace initiatives “never would have happened” under President Joe Biden, a claim Putin reportedly acknowledged in a post-summit press conference.