U.S. President Donald Trump said that he has not discussed Moscow's purchase of weapons from North Korea during his recent phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid continuing concerns about a deepening military alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources told journalists that just hours before his phone call with US President Donald Trump on March 18, Putin held a closed-door meeting attended by influential government figures and oligarchs.

The White House on Thursday dismissed Russia's Putin's suggestion that peace talks in Ukraine depend on it being governed by the UN while elections are held.

The article notes Trump’s contrasting treatment of both sides — placing immediate pressure on the more vulnerable Ukraine, while showing more patience and gentle persuasion toward Moscow — reflects his personal view of the “glaring imbalance of power.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that competition in the Arctic between various nations is growing, as US President Donald Trump seeks to annex Greenland and NATO increases its activities in the region.

In Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic circle, President Vladimir Putin vowed to "strengthen Russia's global leadership in the Arctic", while warning that "geopolitical competition in the region" was intensifying. The first example he gave was Donald Trump's idea to acquire Greenland.