Donald Trump left NATO chief Mark Rutte squirming on Thursday as he asked for his help annexing Greenland.
During a recent meeting at the White House, Trump sat down with NATO Secretary General Rutte amidst breaking news that Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to agree to a 30-day ceasefire - if certain conditions are met.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory under Danish control - and Trump claims it is needed to protect US security.
Asked about his intention to take over Greenland, Trump said: "And I’m just thinking, I didn’t give it much thought before but I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security."
“I don’t want to drag NATO in that,” Rutte replied.
Earlier today, further news surfaced that Putin might back a break in hostilities, signaling a possible 30-day ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces. This development emerged during a joint press briefing with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
During the conference, Putin declared that any resolution must result in "enduring peace" and tackle the root causes of the ongoing crisis.
This comes as Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in Moscow for US-Russia talks about the ceasefire proposal.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin asserts it is in the final stage of its operation to expel Ukraine from territory it captured in the Kursk region.
The announcement of a ceasefire could be a pivotal moment in the conflict, but substantial hurdles remain for a lasting resolution.
"We agree with the proposal to cease hostilities, but it should lead to enduring peace and remove underlying causes of this crisis," Putin stated.