“I am disappointed, but I have not broken with him,” says Trump about Putin in an interview with the BBC

Donald Trump, president of the USA — Photo foot, On Monday, Trump said he will send “First” weapons to Ukraine, in coordination with NATO.

- Author, Gary O’Donoghue
- Author's title, Chief of North America of the BBC
1 hour

In an exclusive telephone conversation with the BBC, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, said he feels disappointed, but has not broken his relationship with Vladimir Putin.

When I asked him if he trusted the Russian leader, the president replied: “I don't trust almost anyone.”

Trump offered the interview hours after announcing his plans to send weapons to Ukraine and warn about the imposition of severe tariffs to Russia if a high fire agreement is not reached in 50 days.

From the Oval Office, the president also expressed his support for NATO, after qualified as an obsolete, and reaffirmed his support for the common defense principle of the organization.

The call with the BBC, which lasted 20 minutes, occurred after conversations about a possible interview in relation to the attack of which he was a victim, a year ago, in a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Being questioned about surviving the attempted murder he had changed it, Trump said he liked to think as little as possible.

“I don't like to think about whether it changed me,” he said. But when reflecting he added: “It could be (an experience) that changes life.”

Another vision of NATO

After meeting recently with the NATO Chief, Mark Rutte, at the White House, the president dedicated much of the interview to deepen his disappointment with the Russian leader.

Trump said he had thought of an agreement with Russia on four different occasions.

When the BBC asked him if he had ended his relationship with Putin, the president replied: “I am disappointed from him, but I have not broken with him. But I am disappointed from him.”

In relation to how he would get Putin to “stop blood spill,” the US president replied: “We are working on that, Gary.”

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia — Photo foot, Trump threatened Russia on Monday with “secondary” tariffs if that country does not reach an agreement that ends the war in Ukraine in the next 50 days.

“We will have a great conversation. I will say: 'That's fine, I think we are close to achieving it', and then a building in Kyiv will knock down.”

Russia has intensified its attacks with drones and missiles against Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, causing a record number of civil victims.

The conversation turned to NATO, to which Trump had already criticized “obsolete.”

When asked if he kept thinking the same, he replied: “No. I think NATO is becoming the opposite of that”, because the alliance “pays its own accounts.”

He added that he continued to believe in collective defense because it meant that smaller countries could defend themselves from the largest.

Trump said that leaders from countries such as Germany, France and Spain had come to respect him and his ability to decision, partly because world leaders believed that there was “much talent” after being elected president twice.

Visit to the United Kingdom

On whether I thought world leaders were sometimes “obvious in their compliments,” Trump replied that he felt that “they only tried to be friendly.”

Regarding the future of the United Kingdom in the international arena, he said it seemed like a “great place, you know, I have properties there.”

In relation to Brexit, he said he had been “a bit messy, but I think he is fixing.”

The president also commented on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “I like the prime minister, even if it is a liberal,” and praised the commercial agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States.

He explained that he was waiting for a second state visit to the United Kingdom, which is scheduled for September of this year.

Regarding what he wanted to achieve with the visit, the president indicated: “Have a good time and respect King Carlos, because he is a great gentleman.”