Overview
- Trump described Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping as “tough, smart, serious” leaders who should be taken very seriously.
- He asserted the Russia–Ukraine war would not have begun under his presidency and blamed Joe Biden for the conflict.
- Trump defended his past tariff strategy with China and announced a 10% reduction on Chinese goods as a goodwill gesture after talks in South Korea.
- He argued tariffs are a weak lever against Moscow due to limited U.S.–Russia trade and said Putin wants to trade with the United States to enrich Russia.
- Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he claimed Putin has lost “maybe a lot of million” soldiers in Ukraine, a figure not supported by verified data.