Trump hopes to make "deal with Russia" on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has stated that he would like to make a "deal with Russia."

Speaking to journalists aboard the plane en route to the NATO summit in the Netherlands, he was asked to comment on the language regarding Russia in the communiqué that may be issued following the meeting of alliance leaders, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“I have to take a look at it. But I would like to see a deal with Russia. As you know, Vladimir called me.

He said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’

I replied, ‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you [on Ukraine].’ And I hope we’ll be able to make a deal with Russia,” Trump responded.

The remarks come at a time of heightened global tensions, including Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, a recent Israel-Iran ceasefire mediated by Trump and Qatar, and debates over NATO’s defence spending and strategic priorities.

The NATO summit, underway on June 24-25 in The Hague, is a critical gathering of the 32-member alliance, focused primarily on a new defence spending pledge of 5% of GDP (3.5% for core military spending and 1.5% for defence-related infrastructure).

Russia remains a central concern for NATO since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, Trump’s comments suggest a divergence from the alliance’s unified stance, as he appears to prioritise a bilateral deal with Russia over reinforcing NATO’s collective deterrence strategy.

By Khagan Isayev