President Donald Trump answers questions about his current situation with the Russians and their latest military provocations off of the United States coast at a press conference in the East Room on February 16. (Listen in)<br /><br />Here is a transcript: <br />Q Mr. President, you mentioned Russia. Let's talk about some serious issues that have come up in the last week that you have had to deal with as President of the United States.<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Okay.<br /><br />Q You mentioned the vessel, the spy vessel, off the coast of the United States.<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Not good.<br /><br />Q There was a ballistic missile test that many interpreted as a violation -- <br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Not good.<br /><br />Q -- of the agreement between the two countries. And a Russian plane buzzed a U.S. destroyer. <br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Not good.<br /><br />Q I listened to you during the campaign -- <br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, excuse me, when did it happen? It happened when -- if you were Putin right now, you would say, hey, we're back to the old games with the United States. There's no way Trump can ever do a deal with us because the -- you have to understand, if I was just brutal on Russia right now, just brutal, people would say, you would say, oh, isn't that wonderful. But I know you well enough. Then you would say, oh, he was too tough, he shouldn't have done that. Look, of all -- <br /><br />Q I'm just trying to find out your orientation to those -- <br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute. Wait, wait. Excuse me just one second. <br /><br />Q I'm just trying to find out what you're doing to do about them, Mr. President.<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: All of those things that you mentioned are very recent, because probably Putin assumes that he's not going to be able to make a deal with me because it's politically not popular for me to make a deal. So Hillary Clinton tries to reset, it failed. They all tried. But I'm different than those people.<br /><br />Go ahead.<br /><br />Q How are you interpreting those moves? And what do you intend to do about them?<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Just the way I said it.<br /><br />Q Have you given Rex Tillerson any advice or counsel on how to deal?<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: I have. I have. And I'm so beautifully represented. I'm so honored that the Senate approved him. He's going to be fantastic.<br /><br />Yes, I think that I've already -- <br /><br />Q Is Putin testing you, do you believe, sir?<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't think so. I think Putin probably assumes that he can't make a deal with me anymore because politically it would be unpopular for a politician to make a deal. I can't believe I'm saying I'm a politician, but I guess that's what I am now. Because, look, it would be much easier for me to be tough on Russia, but then we're not going to make a deal.<br /><br />Now, I don't know that we're going to make a deal. I don't know. We might, we might not. But it would be much easier for me to be so tough -- the tougher I am on Russia, the better. But you know what, I want to do the right thing for the American people. And to be honest, secondarily, I want to do the right thing for the world.<br /><br />If Russia and the United States actually got together and got along -- and don't forget, we're a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. There's no upside. We're a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. I've been briefed. And I can tell you, one thing about a briefing that we're allowed to say because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it: Nuclear holocaust would be like no other. They're a very powerful nuclear country and so are we.<br /><br />If we have a good relationship with Russia, believe me, that's a good thing, not a bad thing.<br /><br />Q So when you say they're not good, do you mean that they are -- <br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: Who did I say is not good?<br /><br />Q No, when I read off the three things that have recently happened and each one of them you said they're not good.<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: No, it's not good, but they happened.<br /><br />Q But do they damage the relationship? Do they undermine this country’s ability to work with Russia?<br /><br />THE PRESIDENT: They all happened recently, and I understand what they’re
