In his Oval Office meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but said he didn't blame him for the Russia-Ukraine War, which Russia started.
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00:00Oh, you have a great Prime Minister, you're so lucky.
00:07In Italian?
00:09Yes, that's right.
00:10Okay.
00:11I'm not sure they do agree.
00:12President Meloni, I would like to know what you think of the fact that President Trump
00:17is considered the responsible Zelensky of the Ukraine.
00:20And then, if you have talked about the military expenses,
00:23what are the maximum limits you have said that you want to live in Italy
00:27the percentual of the military expenses?
00:29We have talked about the military expenses,
00:32we have talked about the fact that Italy is...
00:45...but we have talked about how much this percentual is,
00:51even if we are aware that the defense is particularly important in this time.
00:56For what regarding the Ukraine, I don't know exactly what I think.
00:59I think that there is an invasion of Putin and Russia,
01:01but it is not what we are saying.
01:02I think that there is an invasion of Putin and Russia,
01:05but it is not what we are saying.
01:07It is not what we are saying.
01:09It is not what we are saying.
01:10It is not what we are saying.
01:12It is not what we are saying.
01:13It is not what we are saying.
01:14It is not what we are saying.
01:15It is not what we are saying.
01:16It was about...
01:17It was beautifully presented, but maybe I could hear what she said.
01:47Go ahead.
01:49Guys, have some respect, please.
01:53No, no, wait.
01:54I want to hear what she said.
01:57Go ahead.
01:59President – Prime Minister Maloney was asked whether – what she thinks about the fact
02:04that President Trump holds Zelensky responsible for the war in Ukraine.
02:11And Prime Minister Maloney answered, well, actually we have – and also you talked about the military spending,
02:25how – and the raising of the military spending.
02:28And the first thing Prime Minister Maloney said is that no, actually we didn't talk about the raise
02:35and military spending.
02:36Of course, Italy will keep its commitments with 2%, and then we will see because we are absolutely
02:43aware of the fact that it is very important to – the defense is very important.
02:48I will do that.
02:49I will do that.
02:50I will do that.
02:51I will do that.
02:52They have been asking if we raise – if we decided another defense percentage about the
02:55defense spending.
02:56Right.
02:57NATO.
02:58And I said – yes, NATO.
02:59And I said that Italy is reaching the 2% as it was already decided.
03:05We didn't speak about the specific other percentage, but we are aware of the fact that defense is
03:12important for the future, and we see also the war that we are trying to do at the European
03:18level.
03:19And I don't hold – I don't hold Zelensky responsible.
03:23No.
03:24But I'm not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started.
03:29That was a war that would have never started if I were President.
03:32You'd have millions of people living right now that are dead.
03:35You'd have cities that would be open and thriving, and they'd have their beautiful
03:39terrorists.
03:40Those terrorists are the most beautiful in the world, but they're not with us any
03:44longer.
03:45They're smashed to smithereens laying on the ground in a million pieces, getting hit by
03:50rockets, bombs, and bullets.
03:53And so I'm not happy with him, and I'm not happy with anybody involved.
03:58I think it's a war.
03:59I know it's a war.
04:00It didn't happen for four years.
04:02It was never close to happening.
04:03It was never even a thought.
04:05And I spoke to President Putin about it a lot.
04:07It was the apple of his eye, but there's no way he would have ever gone in if I were
04:11President.
04:12Now I'm trying to get him to stop because, as you know, Russia's a lot bigger.
04:19It's a bigger military force.
04:20It's a bigger military force.
04:22And if you're smart, you don't go involved and get involved in wars that you could blame
04:29the man that was sitting in this seat, Biden.
04:31He didn't know what the hell was going on.
04:33But I can guarantee you that, and everybody agrees to it, if I were President, that war would
04:38have never taken place.
04:39I'm not blaming him.
04:40But what I am saying is that I wouldn't say he's done the greatest job.
04:45Okay?
04:46I'm not a big fan.
04:47I really am.
04:48I'm not a big fan.
04:49I'm not a big fan.
04:50I'm not a big fan.