White House Defends Trump Putin Call Amid Ukraine Peace Talks

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly defended President Donald Trump's handling of peace talks with Russia and Ukraine, particularly his decision to take a private call from Russian President Vladimir Putin after a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. She criticized a New York Times reporter for questioning why Trump did not take the call in front of the other leaders, calling the question disrespectful and highlighting the significant progress made, which prompted European leaders to visit the White House shortly after. Leavitt emphasized that Trump's private call with Putin was necessary out of respect and to facilitate a future one-on-one meeting between Putin and Zelensky, a key step in the peace process. She highlighted praise from European leaders and NATO officials who acknowledged Trump's role as a pragmatic peacemaker and lauded the successful summit. Leavitt also accused left-wing media of actively rooting against the president and misrepresenting his foreign policy efforts. Her remarks underscore the administration's framing of Trump's diplomacy as a major breakthrough in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.