President of the United States, Donald Trump, expressed his expectation that Russia would also do the same after the ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, stating, “Putin made a very promising statement, I would like to meet and talk with him soon.”

Trump hosted NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House. Evaluating the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Trump recalled that Ukraine agreed to the 30-day temporary ceasefire and said, “We hope that Russia will do the same. There is a complete ceasefire here,” he said.

Reminding that his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had ceasefire talks in Moscow today, Trump emphasized that the talks were proceeding very seriously and he was hopeful about them. Trump noted that they found Putin’s recent statements regarding the ceasefire agreement promising, stating, “Putin made a very promising statement, I would like to meet and talk with him soon. If Russia does not want to make a deal, it would be a disappointment for the whole world,” he said. Trump stated that they had discussions with Ukraine regarding the territories that Russia would hold, and they were transparent about this, emphasizing that many issues, including an energy plant, were addressed within the framework of the final agreement.

Trump stated, “This matter (Russia-Ukraine war) could have continued for a long time. We have made a breakthrough. I don’t think Russia will attack other allies, I will ensure that this doesn’t happen.” Trump made an assessment, “We have a rare land mineral agreement with Ukraine and this will return something to us, it will bring back our money,” criticizing the Ukraine policies of the former President of the United States, Joe Biden, Trump, defended that Crimea was given to Russia by the former President Barack Obama, and Georgia by former President George W. Bush, stating, “I didn’t give them anything. I just gave Javelin missiles to Ukraine.” Noting that other allies must make their due payments and that he is sensitive about this matter, Trump commented, “NATO has become stronger through my steps.”

Regarding a question about whether the United States would annex Greenland, Trump responded, “I think this will happen. We need to make an agreement about this, and Denmark can’t do it. We are in talks with Denmark. We really need this for our national security.” Responding to a question about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Trump said, “I have a great relationship with Kim Jong-un in North Korea. If I hadn’t been elected, if Hillary had been elected, there would have been a nuclear war with North Korea.”

In his statements, once again, Trump complained about the customs tariffs that the European Union (EU) applies to the United States on, saying, “The EU is very ugly to us. They sue Apple, Google, Facebook, they sue all these companies and take billions of dollars from American companies. I guess they use it to manage Europe. I don’t know what they are using it for, but they are treating us very badly. China is treating us very badly too. Almost everyone is doing that.” Trump also argued that the United States does not need Canada, but Canada needs the United States, saying, “We have been getting a raw deal for years, we will not be ripped off anymore. In the case of Canada, we spend 200 billion a year to subsidize Canada. Canada is actually like one of our states, there is an artificial border between us, and it doesn’t make any sense.” NATO Secretary-General Rutte thanked President Trump for his efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war and other matters, while emphasizing the need to compete with China and Russia in global competition. Rutte said, “We need to produce more weapons. We are not producing enough weapons, we are falling behind Russia and China.” Indirectly supporting Trump’s statements on Greenland, Rutte argued that the United States should have a say in that region as well.