Trump Makes Surprise Call to BBC, Spills on Putin, NATO

In a somewhat unexpected phone interview with the BBC, President Trump said he's "disappointed but not done" with Russia's Vladimir Putin, adding, "I trust almost nobody"—a comment delivered shortly after Washington announced new weapons shipments to Ukraine and threatened tariffs on Russia if a ceasefire isn't reached within 50 days. More from the president's chat with the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue:

• Assassination attempt: O'Donoghue had been trying to nab Trump for an interview to mark the one-year anniversary of the attempt on his life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump briefly (and seemingly reluctantly, per O'Donoghue) addressed the incident, saying he tries not to dwell on it, suggesting that doing so "could be life-changing." "I don't like to think about if it did change me," Trump noted.
• Ukraine/Russia: Trump spent a large part of the conversation discussing the Ukraine conflict, describing how negotiations with Putin have repeatedly stalled and his frustrations with that. "We'll have a great conversation," he said of Putin and himself. "I'll say, 'That's good,' I'll think we're close to getting it done,' and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv."

• A 180 on NATO: Trump—who once dismissed the international alliance as "obsolete"—called it "the opposite of that" in his call to O'Donoghue, crediting members for boosting defense spending and reaffirming support for collective defense. He said world leaders have "come to respect me" and downplayed flattery from allies as diplomatic niceties.
• UK: Trump described that country as a "great place" with "many different names," citing his property interests there, and said Brexit has been "on the sloppy side" but is improving. He praised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite their political differences, and said he was looking forward to a state visit in September. What Trump wants out of that trip? To "have a good time and respect King Charles, because he's a great gentleman."
• Deportations: Back on US topics, the president wouldn't commit to quantifying that particular administration goal. "Well, I don't put a number on [it], but I want to get the criminals out quickly, and we're doing that, as you know," he noted. "We're bringing them to El Salvador, lots of other places."
• Legacy: Trump says he thinks he'll be remembered for "saving America," adding: "I think America is now a great country and it was a dead country one year ago."
• Behind the scenes: As for the surprise 20-minute call to the BBC, O'Donoghue explains more here on how that went down. "I'll be frank with you—I was asleep when the White House rang," he notes.