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

(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump was caught on a hot microphone Monday saying, "I think he wants to make a deal for me" before a White House meeting with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

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

"He set up a tri-lat. I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand that, as crazy as it sounds," Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron before telling everyone to sit down and allowing media into the room briefly.

The hot microphone moment came as Trump hosted the multilateral meeting to discuss his push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The talks followed Trump's Friday summit with Putin in Alaska, which failed to secure a ceasefire agreement.

During the White House meeting, European leaders were careful to avoid public disagreements with Trump, keeping their comments vague while showering the U.S. president with compliments.

The stakes of the gathering were high, with leaders papering over policy disagreements amid concerns Trump may pressure Ukraine into concessions.

Following the meeting, Trump announced he had begun arranging a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, saying he called the Russian leader afterward to discuss the proposal. Trump said he envisions a trilateral meeting involving all three leaders.

The president described the White House talks as focusing on security guarantees for Ukraine to be provided by European countries with U.S. coordination. In a Truth Social post, Trump called the discussions "a very good, early step" toward peace in the three and a half year conflict.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.