Trump caught on hot mic: 'I think he wants to make a deal for me'

(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump was caught connected a blistery microphone Monday saying, "I deliberation helium wants to marque a woody for me" earlier a White House meeting with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sermon ending the warfare successful Ukraine.

The comment, captured successful the East Room arsenic leaders gathered for the meeting, appeared to notation Russian President Vladimir Putin, though it was unclear who Trump was addressing.

"He acceptable up a tri-lat. I deliberation helium wants to marque a woody for me. Do you recognize that, arsenic brainsick arsenic it sounds," Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron earlier telling everyone to beryllium down and allowing media into the country briefly.

The blistery microphone infinitesimal came arsenic Trump hosted the multilateral meeting to sermon his propulsion to extremity Russia's penetration of Ukraine. The talks followed Trump's Friday acme with Putin successful Alaska, which failed to unafraid a ceasefire agreement.

During the White House meeting, European leaders were cautious to debar nationalist disagreements with Trump, keeping their comments vague portion showering the U.S. president with compliments.

The stakes of the gathering were high, with leaders papering implicit argumentation disagreements amid concerns Trump whitethorn unit Ukraine into concessions.

Following the meeting, Trump announced helium had begun arranging a face-to-face gathering betwixt Putin and Zelenskyy, saying helium called the Russian person afterward to sermon the proposal. Trump said helium envisions a trilateral gathering involving each 3 leaders.

The president described the White House talks arsenic focusing connected information guarantees for Ukraine to beryllium provided by European countries with U.S. coordination. In a Truth Social post, Trump called the discussions "a precise good, aboriginal step" toward bid successful the 3 and a fractional twelvemonth conflict.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.