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US president Donald Trump has admitted that Russian president Vladimir Putin could invade more of Europe 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.
“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.
Russia says it downs 50 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russia’s air defence units destroyed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said this morning. Of these, nearly half of the drones were downed over the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine, the defence ministry said on its Telegram channel. The rest were destroyed over several Russian regions, including three over the Moscow region, the ministry added.
Zelensky hails ‘good meeting’ with Trump at Nato summit
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a “good meeting” with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Nato summit. “We talked about the situation on the battlefield. Putin is definitely not winning. I presented the President with the facts about what is really happening on the ground,” Mr Zelensky said.
The meeting between the two leaders was their first face-to-face since April, when they met at St Peter’s Basilica during Pope Francis’ funeral. Mr Trump also had a major confrontation with Zelensky earlier this year at the White House. Mr Zelensky said he discussed with Mr Trump the possibility of Kyiv producing drones with American companies and buying US air defence systems.
Nato ‘softens stance’ on Putin
A row has broken out over the language used in the Nato declaration signed yesterday, with some reports suggesting the alliance has softened its stance on Russia to please Donald Trump. The communique released refers to Nato’s unity “in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” and reaffirms support for Ukraine, but does not explicitly condemn the Russian invasion.
Asked whether Donald Trump did not want Nato to condemn Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the summit’s joint communique, Sir Keir Starmer said: “On the question of Ukraine, the position in Nato has not changed nor has my position changed. “In fact, over the last couple of days I would say in my discussions with leaders there’s been a real resolve that now is the time to push again to get Putin to the table for the unconditional ceasefire.”
