President Donald Trump on Monday acknowledged that first lady Melania Trump has influenced his evolving view of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s credibility in talks to end the war in Ukraine. During remarks alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump described how conversations at home have repeatedly cast doubt on Putin’s sincerity—particularly as Russian missile and drone strikes continued even after purported diplomatic progress.
“I go home. I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation,’” Trump said, according to Fox News. “She said, ‘Oh, really? another city was just hit.’” Recalling another moment, Trump added, “There’s times I’d get home. I’d say, ‘First lady, I had a wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’ll turn on the television, or she’ll say to me one time, ‘Wow, that’s strange because they just bombed a nursing home.’ I’d say, ‘What?’”
Trump: "I go home, tell the First Lady I spoke with Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation. She says, 'Oh really? Another city was just hit.'"
Donald Trump recounts talks with Melania about Putin and Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/aYJ1ZJV1ll
— euronews (@euronews) July 15, 2025
The remarks came amid continued Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities, despite recent communications between Trump and Putin. Last week, Trump publicly voiced his discontent with Moscow’s actions: “I’m not happy with [Putin] because he’s killing a lot of people.” The president signaled a willingness to expand U.S. support for Ukraine, marking a notable turn from earlier ambivalence.
On Monday, Trump announced a major arms package in coordination with NATO, declaring that Putin has “50 days to secure a peace deal” or face sweeping “100%” tariffs on Russian exports. Rutte lauded the announcement, calling it a sign that European nations are willing to protesct their own continent.
Reaffirming NATO’s central role, Rutte explained, “So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need. So if we can make packages, of course, in a way, we discussed it this morning with Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, in a way that, of course, the US will keep on its stockpiles necessary to defend this country, that’s absolutely clear.”
