A solemn moment at the NATO Summit in The Hague broke through the usual din of international diplomacy when President Donald Trump paused to express personal concern for a BBC Ukrainian reporter during a press conference. The emotional exchange occurred after the journalist asked Trump whether the United States intended to provide anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.
Trump responded to her question with one of his own: “Are you yourself living now in Ukraine?”
This was quite the moment, full of emotion and the room was silent. pic.twitter.com/iScfMGwfEe
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 25, 2025
The reporter revealed that while she and her children currently reside in Warsaw, her husband remains in Ukraine. “My husband is there,” she said.
Visibly affected, Trump took a moment. “Wow,” he replied, shaking his head. “I can see you’re very, you know, it’s amazing…” His expression shifted, conveying a rare emotional weight as he appeared genuinely concerned for the reporter’s family. When he asked if her husband was a soldier, she did not clarify, but confirmed again, “He’s there now.”
“That’s rough stuff, right? That’s tough,” Trump said. “And you are living here? And you are a reporter.”
The emotional weight of the moment was apparent. The reporter, holding back tears, maintained her composure as Trump acknowledged the difficulty of her situation. “Good question,” he told her, referring to her inquiry about missile systems. “We’re going to see if we can make some available.”
.@POTUS on the obliteration of the Iranian regime's nuclear facilities: "The pilots did an unbelievable job like nobody's ever seen. They hit paydirt." pic.twitter.com/tN8NoVKB18
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 25, 2025
He ended with a personal note: “I wish you a lot of luck. I can see it is very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband, OK?”
The exchange briefly brought the press conference to a standstill. According to Townhall’s Katie Pavlich, who was present, “This was quite the moment, full of emotion, and the room was silent.”