"I think he wants a deal. I think he wants a deal because of me, you know. It sounds crazy, right?", US President Donald Trump told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, at the White House on 18/8, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Although Trump spoke softly, the exchange was picked up by a live microphone and recorded by reporters present. The exchange occurred before the US president entered a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven European leaders to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

This statement reflects Trump's optimism about his relationship with the Russian president after their summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on 15/8.

After the meeting, both Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff claimed success in persuading the Russian president to allow the West to provide "NATO-style" security guarantees for Ukraine after Kyiv and Moscow sign a peace treaty.

"We have come to a point where the US can provide a form of protection similar to Article 5 of NATO. This is the first time we have seen the Russian side agree to this condition", Witkoff said on 16/8.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte congratulated Trump on 18/8 on the agreement reached with Putin, emphasizing that the US offering these guarantees alongside its European partners was a "big step forward".

"The fact that he said, 'I'm willing to be part of the security guarantees' is a big step forward, really a breakthrough, it makes a big difference", Rutte said. "Thank you for that".

Trump and Macron converse during a meeting with European leaders and the Ukrainian president at the White House on 18/8. Photo: AP

However, the Kremlin stated that Russia never committed to allowing any NATO military presence in Ukraine. The Russian leadership has also not made any specific statements about reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine after the Alaska meeting.

The US president said he spoke with the Russian president by phone after the closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian president and European leaders. He will arrange a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the US in the near future.

"Once again, this is a good start to a war that has lasted almost four years", Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Everyone is excited about the possibility of Russia and Ukraine achieving peace".

Hong Hanh (According to New York Post)