Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he agrees in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but he emphasized that the terms are yet to be worked out and noted that any truce should pave the way to lasting peace.

U.S. officials were in Moscow for talks, and the Russian leader said he was open to a cease-fire, but President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine expressed skepticism.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is praising President Donald Trump for motivating fellow transatlantic alliance members to step up defense spending and getting Russia to the negotiating table for talks about its grinding war against Ukraine.

He's been dubbed the "Trump whisperer," but NATO chief Mark Rutte struggled to get a word in Thursday as the US president mused about annexing Greenland and criticized allies over defense spending. Trump reiterated his criticisms on Thursday but seemed more keen to talk about how,

Trump has repeatedly expressed his contention that European countries have been taking advantage of the U.S. by not spending more on defense.