On the cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, Trump sees "good signals." Neither does Zelensky.

 The Russian leader said he was open to a cease-fire while U.S. officials were in Moscow for talks, but Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was skeptical.

On Thursday, President Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

President Trump said Thursday he saw “good signals” toward finalizing a 30-day cease-fire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, as U.S. officials visiting Moscow were expected to meet with President Vladimir V.  Russia's Putin. The remarks, delivered in the Oval Office while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, came as Mr.  By setting a number of conditions before agreeing to a cease-fire, Putin made it clear that he was not eager for one. "It doesn't mean anything until we hear what the final outcome is," Mr., "but they have very serious discussions going on right now with President Putin and others, and hopefully they all want to end this nightmare." "It doesn't mean anything until we hear what the final outcome is." Trump said of the meetings his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was having in Russia.  “It’s a nightmare.  It is an awful thing." Mr.  Trump stated that he hoped to meet with Mr. Putin shortly. He also said the U.S. had discussed with Ukraine possible concessions as part of a peace agreement.

Mr. said, "We've been discussing land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, as well as all of the other elements of a final agreement." Trump stated "A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed," he continued. In his Thursday evening address to Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelensky adopted a pessimistic tone. Mr.  He stated that Putin's response to the cease-fire proposal was "very predictable." Mr.  He stated, "that nothing will work out at all, or that it will not work out for as long as possible" because Putin imposed so many preconditions. Even so, Mr. The years of Trump's complaints about NATO, which he has repeatedly threatened to leave, the meeting with Mr. As the two leaders discussed potential areas of cooperation, Rutte, a former prime minister of the Netherlands, proceeded amicably.

Mr.  Trump praised Mr. Rutte for “doing a fantastic job” while Mr.  Rutte spoke highly of Mr. Trump credited him with revitalizing the organization by encouraging other nations to increase their military spending contributions.

“I really want to work with you in the lead up to The Hague summit to make sure that we will have a NATO that is really reinvigorated under your leadership,” Mr. Rutte said, referring to the meeting this summer in the Netherlands. The fact that other European allies rely on American protection rather than spending enough on defense has been criticized by numerous American presidents, but Mr. Trump has taken his rhetoric to a new level, implying that the United States may not be able to fulfill its mutual defense commitment to nations that have not contributed sufficiently. Mr.  The alliance and its member states have been divided as a result of Trump's more conciliatory approach toward Russia and his extensive tariffs on the European Union. Some of the alliance's members are beginning to consider a future that is less dependent on the United States. Mr.  Rutte was trying to stay away from the kind of argument that ended in Mr. Mr. Trump's meeting with Beginning in March, Zelensky praised the American president and attempted to avoid conflict, at least in front of reporters.

After Mr. When asked about his efforts to annex Greenland, a territory controlled by Denmark, a member of NATO, Trump said that Mr. That "could be instrumental" in Rutte's hands. “We have to do it,” he said.  “We really need it for national security.”

 Mr.  Rutte said he didn't want to "drag NATO into that" when asked about the United States taking Greenland. Instead, he changed his mind and agreed with Mr. Trump claimed that the Arctic was in danger from China and Russia.