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)

Here is a transcript:
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.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay.

Q You mentioned the vessel, the spy vessel, off the coast of the United States.

THE PRESIDENT: Not good.

Q There was a ballistic missile test that many interpreted as a violation —

THE PRESIDENT: Not good.

Q — of the agreement between the two countries. And a Russian plane buzzed a U.S. destroyer.

THE PRESIDENT: Not good.

Q I listened to you during the campaign —

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 —

Q I’m just trying to find out your orientation to those —

THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute. Wait, wait. Excuse me just one second.

Q I’m just trying to find out what you’re doing to do about them, Mr. President.

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.

Go ahead.

Q How are you interpreting those moves? And what do you intend to do about them?

THE PRESIDENT: Just the way I said it.

Q Have you given Rex Tillerson any advice or counsel on how to deal?

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.

Yes, I think that I’ve already —

Q Is Putin testing you, do you believe, sir?

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.

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.

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.

If we have a good relationship with Russia, believe me, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.

Q So when you say they’re not good, do you mean that they are —

THE PRESIDENT: Who did I say is not good?

Q No, when I read off the three things that have recently happened and each one of them you said they’re not good.

THE PRESIDENT: No, it’s not good, but they happened.

Q But do they damage the relationship? Do they undermine this country’s ability to work with Russia?

THE PRESIDENT: They all happened recently, and I understand what they’re