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Remarks by President Trump at Press Conference After NATO Summit | Brussels, Belgium
Yes, sir. Go ahead. Please.
Q Yeah. Jonathan Beale from BBC. I just wonder - you think you're going to get along with President Putin at that meeting. Could you just tell us, why do you think that? Is there something you admire about him?
And the second question, because you're just about to go to the UK, sir -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, he's a competitor. He's been very nice to me the times I've met him. I've been nice to him. He's a competitor. You know, somebody was saying, "Is he an enemy?" No, he's not my enemy. "Is he a friend?" No, I don't know him well enough. But the couple of times that I've gotten to meet him, we got along very well. You saw that.
I hope we get along well. I think we get along well. But ultimately, he's a competitor. He's representing Russia. I'm representing the United States. So in a sense, we're competitors. Not a question of friend or enemy. He's not my enemy. And hopefully, someday, maybe he'll be a friend. It could happen. But I - I just don't know him very well. I've met him a couple of times. And when I did meet him, most of you people were there.
Yes.
Q And Brexit - sorry, sir, because you are going to the UK. What will be your message on Brexit?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Brexit is a - you know, I've been reading a lot about Brexit over the last couple of days, and it seems to be turning a little bit differently where they're getting at least partially involved back with the European Union.
I have no message. It's not for me to say. I own a lot of property there. I'm going to Scotland while I wait for the meeting. I have Turnberry in Scotland, which is a magical place - one of my favorite places. I'm going there for two days while I wait for the Monday meeting.
But it's not for me to say what they should be doing in the UK. I have great friendships. My mother was born in Scotland. I have great friendships over there. We have a wonderful ambassador - Woody Johnson. And he's doing - by the way, Woody is doing a great job.
But it's not for me to say. I'd like to see him be able to work it so it could go quickly, whatever they work out.
Q Hard Brexit?
THE PRESIDENT: Is it heartbreaking?
Q Hard Brexit.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, hard Brexit. I see. (Laughter.) I thought you said it was heartbreaking. I said, that might be going a little bit too far, right? (Laughter.) Heartbreak. Is it heartbreaking? A lot of things are heartbreaking.
No, I would say that Brexit is Brexit. It's not like - I guess we'll use the term "hard Brexit." I assume that's what you mean. The people voted to break it up, so I would imagine that's what they'll do. But maybe they're taking a little bit of a different route. So I don't know if that's what they voted for. I just want the people to be happy. They're great people. And I do think I have - I'm sure there will be protests, because there are always protests. But I think - there were protests the night of the election, both ways. But in the end, we got 206 electoral - 306 electoral votes. And one state said - you know, it was interesting, one of the states we won, Wisconsin - I didn't even realize this until fairly recently - that was the one state Ronald Reagan didn't win when he ran the board his second time. He didn't win Wisconsin, and we won Wisconsin. So, you know, we had a great night.
Protests? There might be protests. But I believe that the people in the UK - Scotland, Ireland. As you know, I have property in Ireland; I have property all over. I think that those people, they like me a lot, and they agree with me on immigration. And I think that's why you have Brexit in the first place, because of immigration.
Yes, ma'am. Yeah, go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) from Finland. What would be the best deal with Putin when you come to Helsinki? And don't you think that your hard diplomacy - that you are playing to the same goal that Putin, with your hard diplomacy towards EU and NATO?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I can't tell you what would be the ultimate. What would be the ultimate? Well, let's see: No more nuclear weapons anywhere in the world would be the ultimate, okay? No more wars, no more problems, no more conflict. Let's find a cure to every disease known to mankind, or womankind. That would be my ultimate, okay? And we'll start from there.
Okay. Yeah, go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) from Afghan Service and BBC World Service. So I would like to ask you, Mr. President, that Afghan President is going to be here -
THE PRESIDENT: He's here right now. He's here right now.
Q No, is here. And are you going to meet him?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q And what have you got to say to him?
THE PRESIDENT: Ghani.
Q And when the war is going to end in Afghanistan? Because people are fed up now and they want to know.
THE PRESIDENT: I agree with that. I very much agree. It's been going on for a long time. We've made a lot of progress, but it's been going on for a long time. We've made a lot of progress in Afghanistan, I will say. Yes, your President is here right now. In fact, he's in the room. When I'm finished with this, I'm going right back into that room.
Q One question, please. Please. Georgia Public Broadcasting. Mr. President, can you tell us what do you think about future membership of Georgia in NATO, please?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, at a certain point they'll have a chance. Not right now. They just left the room. But at a certain point, they'll have a chance.
Yes, sir. Go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) reporter for Kurdistan 24. Are you going to continue to support the Kurdish forces, Peshmerga, in Iraq? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: I think the Kurds are great people. They're incredible fighters. They're wonderful, warm, intelligent - allies, in many cases. As you know, it's different groups of people. But they're great people. I really do - I believe they're great people.
Yes, go ahead, please.
Q Mr. President, (inaudible) working with ARD German TV. You said Putin isn't an enemy, isn't a friend; he's just a competitor.
THE PRESIDENT: He's a competitor.
Q Do you consider him as a security threat for Europe or to the U.S.? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Hey, I don't want him to be. And that's, I guess, why we have NATO, and that's why we have a United States that just had the largest military budget ever - $700 billion approved; $716 billion next year.
No, I hope that we'll be able to get along. I've said from day one, whether it's China or Russia - you know, we're working on trade with China right now, and I don't say that's an easy situation, because that's been years of abuse of the United States by presidents, frankly, that allowed that to happen. So I've taken over a lot of bad hands, and I'm fixing each one of them and I'm fixing them well.
But China is going to be, I think, very successfully, ultimately, taken care of. I have a great respect for their President, as you know - President Xi. I spent two days there. It was among the most magical two days I've ever lived. And I think we're going to end up doing something very good with China. Right now, we're in a pretty nasty trade battle, but I think ultimately that will work out. I really think we have a big advantage.
You know, we've picked up $8 trillion in value, in worth, since I became President. And we're close to two times the size of China. A lot of people don't know that. And, you know, we're going to negotiate a fair deal, if that's possible.
Okay. And Russia - I think getting along with Russia also would be a very good thing.
Yes, go ahead.
Q Jamal Mousavi from BCC Persian TV. We have seen escalation of tension between you and the Iranians. What is your exit plan, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: I would say there might be an escalation between us and the Iranians. I agree with that.
Q But they are threatening to -
THE PRESIDENT: By the way, they're treating us with much more respect right now than they did in the past. And I think - I know they're having a lot of problems and their economy is collapsing. But I will tell you this: At a certain point, they're going to call me and they're going to say, "Let's make a deal," and we'll make a deal. But they are - they're feeling a lot of pain right now.
Yes. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q Mr. President, do we expect the rise of the Russian influence in Macedonia following the starting of the negotiation process, like we've seen in Montenegro with alleged coup? And what will NATO and United States do to counter that Russian influence in the Western Balkans? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: We never talk about our future plans.
Yes, go ahead, ma'am. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you very much. My name is Alla Shali from Rudaw TV from Kurdistan Iraq. My question is about the government of Iraq. You know, after two months election, the government in Iraq has not been formed. What's the role from USA? And you want to talk about Syria with President Putin. Can I have any information about Quds in Syria? Thank you very much.
THE PRESIDENT: So I hope we get along well with Iraq. We've certainly spent a great fortune in Iraq. And many, many lives - thousands and hundreds of thousands of lives, if you think on both sides, which I always think about both sides, not just our side. And they had an election, and I hope we're going to be able to get along, and we'll see how that goes. We've already been talking to the people that won the election. I was not in favor of that war. I was very much against that war. I never thought it was a good thing. But that's another deck of cards that I inherited, and we'll do the best we can with it.
I think the election was pretty conclusive. And again, we've spoken to them. We'll see what happens.
Yes, sir. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q I'm Asea Atrouz (ph) from Assabah Newspaper in Tunisia. I come from a very far country, a small country in Northern Africa, Tunisia. My question, Mr. President - we really admire what you are doing in North Africa and we really wish and hope that something again will be done in the Middle East to avoid (inaudible) more wars and more blood and more killings in the Middle East, with a just peace process that gives everyone its (inaudible).
THE PRESIDENT: We're looking for peace. And Africa, as you know, is on our very strong list. But we're looking for peace. We want peace all over. We want to solve problems. We're looking for peace. Africa, right now, has got problems like few people would even understand. They have things going on there that nobody could believe in this room. If you saw some of the things that I see through intelligence, what's going on in Africa, it is so sad and so vicious and violent. And we want peace. We want peace for Africa. We want peace all over the world. That's my number-one goal: peace all over the world.
And we're building up a tremendous military, because I really believe, through strength, you get peace. But we're going to have a military like we've never had before. We've given out orders for the best fighter jets in the world, the best ships, the best everything.
But hopefully we'll never have to use them. That would be a dream. To buy the best stuff, to have the best stuff, to have the best equipment in the world, and to never have to use it would be a really great part of my dream.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. I'm going to be going - leaving in about a half an hour. Thank you.
Go Back
Q Yeah. Jonathan Beale from BBC. I just wonder - you think you're going to get along with President Putin at that meeting. Could you just tell us, why do you think that? Is there something you admire about him?
And the second question, because you're just about to go to the UK, sir -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, he's a competitor. He's been very nice to me the times I've met him. I've been nice to him. He's a competitor. You know, somebody was saying, "Is he an enemy?" No, he's not my enemy. "Is he a friend?" No, I don't know him well enough. But the couple of times that I've gotten to meet him, we got along very well. You saw that.
I hope we get along well. I think we get along well. But ultimately, he's a competitor. He's representing Russia. I'm representing the United States. So in a sense, we're competitors. Not a question of friend or enemy. He's not my enemy. And hopefully, someday, maybe he'll be a friend. It could happen. But I - I just don't know him very well. I've met him a couple of times. And when I did meet him, most of you people were there.
Yes.
Q And Brexit - sorry, sir, because you are going to the UK. What will be your message on Brexit?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Brexit is a - you know, I've been reading a lot about Brexit over the last couple of days, and it seems to be turning a little bit differently where they're getting at least partially involved back with the European Union.
I have no message. It's not for me to say. I own a lot of property there. I'm going to Scotland while I wait for the meeting. I have Turnberry in Scotland, which is a magical place - one of my favorite places. I'm going there for two days while I wait for the Monday meeting.
But it's not for me to say what they should be doing in the UK. I have great friendships. My mother was born in Scotland. I have great friendships over there. We have a wonderful ambassador - Woody Johnson. And he's doing - by the way, Woody is doing a great job.
But it's not for me to say. I'd like to see him be able to work it so it could go quickly, whatever they work out.
Q Hard Brexit?
THE PRESIDENT: Is it heartbreaking?
Q Hard Brexit.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, hard Brexit. I see. (Laughter.) I thought you said it was heartbreaking. I said, that might be going a little bit too far, right? (Laughter.) Heartbreak. Is it heartbreaking? A lot of things are heartbreaking.
No, I would say that Brexit is Brexit. It's not like - I guess we'll use the term "hard Brexit." I assume that's what you mean. The people voted to break it up, so I would imagine that's what they'll do. But maybe they're taking a little bit of a different route. So I don't know if that's what they voted for. I just want the people to be happy. They're great people. And I do think I have - I'm sure there will be protests, because there are always protests. But I think - there were protests the night of the election, both ways. But in the end, we got 206 electoral - 306 electoral votes. And one state said - you know, it was interesting, one of the states we won, Wisconsin - I didn't even realize this until fairly recently - that was the one state Ronald Reagan didn't win when he ran the board his second time. He didn't win Wisconsin, and we won Wisconsin. So, you know, we had a great night.
Protests? There might be protests. But I believe that the people in the UK - Scotland, Ireland. As you know, I have property in Ireland; I have property all over. I think that those people, they like me a lot, and they agree with me on immigration. And I think that's why you have Brexit in the first place, because of immigration.
Yes, ma'am. Yeah, go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) from Finland. What would be the best deal with Putin when you come to Helsinki? And don't you think that your hard diplomacy - that you are playing to the same goal that Putin, with your hard diplomacy towards EU and NATO?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I can't tell you what would be the ultimate. What would be the ultimate? Well, let's see: No more nuclear weapons anywhere in the world would be the ultimate, okay? No more wars, no more problems, no more conflict. Let's find a cure to every disease known to mankind, or womankind. That would be my ultimate, okay? And we'll start from there.
Okay. Yeah, go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) from Afghan Service and BBC World Service. So I would like to ask you, Mr. President, that Afghan President is going to be here -
THE PRESIDENT: He's here right now. He's here right now.
Q No, is here. And are you going to meet him?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q And what have you got to say to him?
THE PRESIDENT: Ghani.
Q And when the war is going to end in Afghanistan? Because people are fed up now and they want to know.
THE PRESIDENT: I agree with that. I very much agree. It's been going on for a long time. We've made a lot of progress, but it's been going on for a long time. We've made a lot of progress in Afghanistan, I will say. Yes, your President is here right now. In fact, he's in the room. When I'm finished with this, I'm going right back into that room.
Q One question, please. Please. Georgia Public Broadcasting. Mr. President, can you tell us what do you think about future membership of Georgia in NATO, please?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, at a certain point they'll have a chance. Not right now. They just left the room. But at a certain point, they'll have a chance.
Yes, sir. Go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) reporter for Kurdistan 24. Are you going to continue to support the Kurdish forces, Peshmerga, in Iraq? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: I think the Kurds are great people. They're incredible fighters. They're wonderful, warm, intelligent - allies, in many cases. As you know, it's different groups of people. But they're great people. I really do - I believe they're great people.
Yes, go ahead, please.
Q Mr. President, (inaudible) working with ARD German TV. You said Putin isn't an enemy, isn't a friend; he's just a competitor.
THE PRESIDENT: He's a competitor.
Q Do you consider him as a security threat for Europe or to the U.S.? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Hey, I don't want him to be. And that's, I guess, why we have NATO, and that's why we have a United States that just had the largest military budget ever - $700 billion approved; $716 billion next year.
No, I hope that we'll be able to get along. I've said from day one, whether it's China or Russia - you know, we're working on trade with China right now, and I don't say that's an easy situation, because that's been years of abuse of the United States by presidents, frankly, that allowed that to happen. So I've taken over a lot of bad hands, and I'm fixing each one of them and I'm fixing them well.
But China is going to be, I think, very successfully, ultimately, taken care of. I have a great respect for their President, as you know - President Xi. I spent two days there. It was among the most magical two days I've ever lived. And I think we're going to end up doing something very good with China. Right now, we're in a pretty nasty trade battle, but I think ultimately that will work out. I really think we have a big advantage.
You know, we've picked up $8 trillion in value, in worth, since I became President. And we're close to two times the size of China. A lot of people don't know that. And, you know, we're going to negotiate a fair deal, if that's possible.
Okay. And Russia - I think getting along with Russia also would be a very good thing.
Yes, go ahead.
Q Jamal Mousavi from BCC Persian TV. We have seen escalation of tension between you and the Iranians. What is your exit plan, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: I would say there might be an escalation between us and the Iranians. I agree with that.
Q But they are threatening to -
THE PRESIDENT: By the way, they're treating us with much more respect right now than they did in the past. And I think - I know they're having a lot of problems and their economy is collapsing. But I will tell you this: At a certain point, they're going to call me and they're going to say, "Let's make a deal," and we'll make a deal. But they are - they're feeling a lot of pain right now.
Yes. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q Mr. President, do we expect the rise of the Russian influence in Macedonia following the starting of the negotiation process, like we've seen in Montenegro with alleged coup? And what will NATO and United States do to counter that Russian influence in the Western Balkans? Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: We never talk about our future plans.
Yes, go ahead, ma'am. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you very much. My name is Alla Shali from Rudaw TV from Kurdistan Iraq. My question is about the government of Iraq. You know, after two months election, the government in Iraq has not been formed. What's the role from USA? And you want to talk about Syria with President Putin. Can I have any information about Quds in Syria? Thank you very much.
THE PRESIDENT: So I hope we get along well with Iraq. We've certainly spent a great fortune in Iraq. And many, many lives - thousands and hundreds of thousands of lives, if you think on both sides, which I always think about both sides, not just our side. And they had an election, and I hope we're going to be able to get along, and we'll see how that goes. We've already been talking to the people that won the election. I was not in favor of that war. I was very much against that war. I never thought it was a good thing. But that's another deck of cards that I inherited, and we'll do the best we can with it.
I think the election was pretty conclusive. And again, we've spoken to them. We'll see what happens.
Yes, sir. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q I'm Asea Atrouz (ph) from Assabah Newspaper in Tunisia. I come from a very far country, a small country in Northern Africa, Tunisia. My question, Mr. President - we really admire what you are doing in North Africa and we really wish and hope that something again will be done in the Middle East to avoid (inaudible) more wars and more blood and more killings in the Middle East, with a just peace process that gives everyone its (inaudible).
THE PRESIDENT: We're looking for peace. And Africa, as you know, is on our very strong list. But we're looking for peace. We want peace all over. We want to solve problems. We're looking for peace. Africa, right now, has got problems like few people would even understand. They have things going on there that nobody could believe in this room. If you saw some of the things that I see through intelligence, what's going on in Africa, it is so sad and so vicious and violent. And we want peace. We want peace for Africa. We want peace all over the world. That's my number-one goal: peace all over the world.
And we're building up a tremendous military, because I really believe, through strength, you get peace. But we're going to have a military like we've never had before. We've given out orders for the best fighter jets in the world, the best ships, the best everything.
But hopefully we'll never have to use them. That would be a dream. To buy the best stuff, to have the best stuff, to have the best equipment in the world, and to never have to use it would be a really great part of my dream.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. I'm going to be going - leaving in about a half an hour. Thank you.
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