White House Press Secretary Leavitt Responds to New York Times Reporter

Press Briefing Exchange

• 🎯 Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, responded to a question from Shawn McCreesh of The New York Times regarding President Trump's call with Putin.
• ❓ McCreesh asked why Trump didn't take Putin's call while with European leaders, given Trump stated it would be disrespectful.

Leavitt's Defense of Trump's Actions

• 💡 Leavitt countered that only a reporter from The New York Times would ask such a question, implying it was out of touch.
• 🤝 She explained that Trump met with European leaders 48 hours after meeting with President Putin on American soil.
• 📈 The readout from Trump's meeting with Putin led to significant progress, prompting European leaders to visit the US.

European Leaders' Reactions

• ✅ Leavitt cited statements from European leaders, including President Zelensky, who described their conversation with Trump as "very good" and addressing "very sensitive points."
• 🗣️ She highlighted that Secretary General Mark Ruda acknowledged President Trump's role in breaking a deadlock by initiating dialogue with President Putin.
• 🌍 European leaders, whose countries are directly affected by the war, were grateful for Trump's engagement and for providing a readout of Russia's perspective, something the previous administration allegedly did not do.

Other Press Inquiries

• 🗺️ When asked about Budapest as a possible location for a meeting, Leavitt stated she could not confirm or deny details but would provide them when available.
• 🤝 Regarding a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky, Leavitt indicated she had already answered the question.
• ✈️ On the consideration of US pilots and aircraft supporting European or Ukrainian forces, Leavitt deferred to President Trump's own statements made on Fox and Friends.
• 🔒 Leavitt described discussions about security guarantees, beyond boots on the ground, as "very sensitive diplomatic discussions" currently underway, leaving further details to the national security team and the President.