In an exclusive 20-minute phone interview with the BBC, U.S. President Donald Trump said he remains “disappointed but not done” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite mounting tensions over the war in Ukraine.
Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, announced new military aid to Ukraine and threatened tariffs on Russia if no ceasefire deal is reached within 50 days. Reflecting on four failed attempts at peace talks, he expressed frustration with Putin’s unpredictability: “We’ll have a great conversation, I’ll think we’re close to getting it done—then he’ll knock down a building in Kyiv.”
When asked if he still trusts Putin, Trump responded, “I trust almost nobody.”
The president also took time to endorse NATO, despite once calling the alliance obsolete. Trump praised recent commitments by member countries to increase defence spending, calling 5% of GDP a “miracle nobody thought possible.” He reaffirmed support for NATO’s core principle of collective defence, saying smaller nations “need protection from the big ones.”
On his upcoming second state visit to the UK in September, Trump said he looks forward to “respecting King Charles” and doesn’t expect Parliament to interrupt their recess for a speech: “Let them go and have a good time.” He praised Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite political differences, and maintained that the UK “hasn’t made the most of Brexit, but it’s getting straightened out.”
Trump brushed off concerns about Charles’s remarks on Canadian sovereignty following a controversial US annexation comment, saying, “What’s he gonna do? He has no choice.” Trump added that the U.S. is currently “negotiating with Canada” and expects a positive outcome.
Turning to domestic matters, Trump touted his administration’s immigration crackdown, claiming illegal border crossings are at “record lows” and that deportations are underway, particularly for criminals. “We’re bringing them to El Salvador, lots of other places,” he said, referring to deals with Central American nations.
Despite legal pushback, Trump asserted that his policies are winning in appeals courts and dismissed critics as “radical left lunatics.”
He also celebrated the passage of his sweeping tax and spending bill—an extension of his 2017 tax cuts—which includes tax breaks for tipped workers and deep Medicaid cuts. “It’s the largest tax cut in history,” he declared.
When asked what he believes will define his legacy, Trump was unequivocal: “Saving America. It was a dead country one year ago.”