Melania, key to the way in which Trump has weaponized his position vis-à-vis Putin?

President Donald Trump suggested Monday that Melania Trump has played a crucial role in his views on the war in Ukraine by repeatedly warning him that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not lived up to his peace commitments. The revelation suggests that the first lady could be directly influencing how the president is approaching one of the most sensitive issues on the international stage.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the president shared a series of private conversations he had with his wife after speaking with Putin.

"I go home. I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? another city was just hit,'" Trump recalled in front of the media.

The president recounted another similar situation in which he returned convinced he had reached an understanding with the Kremlin, only to discover otherwise upon arriving home. "There's times I'd get home. I'd say, 'First lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we're finished.' And then I'll turn on the television, or she'll say to me one time, 'Wow, that's strange because they just bombed a nursing home,'" Trump recalled in another conversation. "I'd say, 'What?'" she recounted.

Frustration with Putin and a warning of tariffs

Last week, the president had already expressed his annoyance with the Russian leader. He said he was unhappy with Putin "because he's killing a lot of people." Now, he poses a concrete pressure measure: he assured that Putin has 50 days to reach a peace agreement or face 100% tariffs.

Despite his past criticism of sending massive aid to Ukraine, the president signaled that he is considering providing greater assistance to counter Russian attacks, which have intensified even after his personal contacts with Moscow.

Announcement of arms sales to NATO.

"This is again European nations standing up," Rutte said. "''ve been in contact with many countries. I can tell you at this moment Germany, massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway—we have the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada—they all want to be part of this."

"And this is only the first wave. There will be more," he added. "So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need."

Trump's statements, coupled with Melania's comments on Putin's broken promises, suggest an adjustment in his view of the conflict.