Trump promises Ukraine update as NATO chief visits Washington amid Russia tensions

President Donald Trump says new developments are coming “soon” on the war between Ukraine and Russia.

(CNN)- President Donald Trump says new developments are coming “soon” on the war between Ukraine and Russia, as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visits Washington for high-level meetings.

“A lot of things are happening on that front, on the war front with Ukraine and Russia,” Trump said ahead of his White House meeting with Rutte.

The visit comes as Trump appears to be stepping back from plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future. “I don’t wanna have a wasted meeting. I don’t wanna have a wasted time, so I’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters.

The idea of a bilateral meeting emerged following a phone call between Trump and Putin last Thursday—just one day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump at the White House. Zelensky said the U.S. president denied his request for Tomahawk missiles capable of striking Moscow, suggesting that refusal weakened Ukraine’s leverage in ongoing diplomacy.

“As soon as the issue of long-range capabilities for Ukraine became less immediate, their interest in diplomacy faded,” Zelensky said of the Kremlin.

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agrees that the military situation on the ground remains tied to diplomatic progress. “I do think we can change Putin’s calculus—that he will realize that the price he has to pay to control Ukraine is too high,” Stoltenberg said.

While in Washington, Rutte is also meeting with members of the Senate NATO Observer Group, as the chamber considers a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russia.

“It’s time to provide the president with the tools that he needs so that he can negotiate this out,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R–South Dakota), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.