Trump: I hope Russia does the right thing regarding Ukraine

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his US special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding serious talks with Russia regarding ending the war in Ukraine.

"We hope they will do the right thing," President Trump told reporters during a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

President Trump said he doesn't think Russia will attack US allies

"This will not happen. We will make sure this does not happen," he said.

Speaking to reporters in the room, Trump said he would like to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.

"But we have to get through it quickly," he said.

Trump also characterized transatlantic cooperation between the US and its European allies on security issues as "unfair."

"We're on the other side of the ocean," Trump said of Europe.

"And they are right there."

Trump says he has "people talking in Russia" - US envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff is currently in Moscow.

"Ukraine has agreed, depending on what happens today, to a complete ceasefire and we hope that Russia will do the same," Trump continued.

He said the war in Ukraine is a "huge cost to the United States and other countries."

Witkoff will meet with Putin on Thursday evening, US media reported, citing the Russian state news newspaper 'Izvestia'.

Thursday's meeting at the White House comes as President Trump has reiterated calls for alliance countries to pay more for their defense.

Of the thirty-two NATO member countries, twenty-three meet the 2 percent target for defense spending, up from just six in 2021.

The NATO Secretary General also spoke about the need for alliance countries to pay more for their defense, but he emphasized that in parallel, the pace of production in the defense industry must also be increased, since NATO countries, as he said, are behind Russia and China in this regard.