NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte opened his remarks alongside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Wednesday by applauding Trump's efforts at a ceasefire in the Middle East.
Watch Trump and Rutte's meeting in the video player above.
Saying he was texting Trump as the deal came into effect, Rutte thanked him for "everything you're doing," adding that his NATO colleagues "want to help" him bring peace between Ukraine and Russia.
WATCH: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Trump, Ukraine and new spending commitments
Wednesday's meeting came as the U.S. announced new sanctions against Russia's two biggest oil companies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blasted Moscow's refusal to end its "senseless war" and said the Treasury Department was prepared to take further action if necessary to support Trump's effort to end the war.
The sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as dozens of subsidiaries, come after months of bipartisan pressure on Trump to hit Russia with harder sanctions on its oil industry.
"I just felt it was time," Trump said of the Russia sanctions during his meeting with Rutte.
President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2025. Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Trump defended his decision to not provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles because it would take too long to train the Ukrainian military to use them.
The president said it would take "minimal six months" or even a year to teach the long-range missile system to Ukrainians, adding that there is a "tremendous learning curve."
The Trump administration had previously considered the possibility of providing the weapons to Ukraine to help stop the war there started by Russia. But Trump shut down the option after speaking with Russian leader Vladimir Putin by suggesting that the U.S. needed to preserve its supply of Tomahawk missiles.
Trump says he'll talk to China's president about Russia-Ukraine war during South Korea meeting
"I think he could have a big influence on Putin," Trump said of Xi Jinping.
Beijing has yet to confirm that the leaders will meet, but the two certainly have plenty to talk about beyond Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Trump sees Xi as wanting to overcome differences on trade
Previewing his planned meeting next week with Chinese leader Xi, Trump indicated that he believes the U.S. had the upper hand. Trump has threatened import taxes of an additional 100% in response to China limiting the exporting of rare earth elements used in advanced technologies.
"The tariffs are much more powerful than the rare earth," Trump said.
Both issues could hurt global economic growth, as a loss of access to rare earths could disrupt supply chains. Meanwhile, tariffs at the rates floated by Trump could essentially halt trade between the world's two largest economies.
President Donald Trump holds an image of a rendering of the new White House ballroom to be built as he meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2025. Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Trump says 'not much' of original East Wing was left before it was demolished
The president is justifying part of the White House's East Wing facade being removed to make room for a new ballroom he's building by saying that "not much" was left of the original construction.
He said part of the White House was more than a century-old and ready to be replaced but that "certain areas are being left."
PHOTOS: White House starts East Wing demolition to build Trump's ballroom
Trump also said, "We're also working with the military" on the project to make sure it is stellar.
During his comments, the president said the ballroom's price tag could be $300 million, when he'd previously said it would cost $250 million.
He bristled at suggestions that his administration hasn't been transparent about the work: "I think we've been more transparent than anybody's ever been."