Trump tells BBC he is 'disappointed but not done' with Putin, backs NATO and UK ties

New Delhi, Jul 15: In an exclusive interview with the BBC, US President Donald Trump said he is “disappointed but not done” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following his announcement to send weapons to Ukraine and impose tariffs if a ceasefire isn’t reached within 50 days. Asked if he trusts Putin, Trump replied, “I trust almost no-one.” He said he had hoped for a peace deal “four different times,” but was let down each time. “We’re working at it,” he said, adding, “Then he’ll knock down a building in Kyiv.”

On NATO, which he once called “obsolete,” Trump said the alliance is now “the opposite of that,” praising members for boosting defence spending to 5% of GDP. “Nobody thought that was possible,” he said. Marking a year since he survived an assassination attempt, Trump said, “I like to think about it as little as possible.”

He praised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer “even though he is a liberal” and said the UK is “getting Brexit straightened out.” On his upcoming UK state visit, Trump said he looks forward to “respecting King Charles” and ruled out a speech in Parliament: “Let them go and have a good time.” Trump also defended his immigration crackdown, saying deportations were underway.