President Donald Trump said he expects a "big beautiful agreement" with Russia that will involve "all of Europe", after meeting a Russian envoy at the White House.
Oval Office remarks
Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office after signing an executive order designating the room a national monument. He was asked about reports he intended to return to bombing raids on Iran.
"We control everything that we want to control," he said. "And now we make a decision. Do we want to go further, by certifying it? And by certifying I mean, making sure that it'll never happen again."
He added: "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible. But maybe I'll have to. You'll know soon enough."
Russian envoy meeting
Asked about a meeting with a Russian envoy at the Oval Office, Trump confirmed he had met with the envoy. The envoy was attending a pseudo-peace summit hosted by Melania Trump, who has been engaging in back-channel communications with Vladimir Putin.
"I think we're going to be close to settling Russia and Ukraine," Trump said.
He added: "I can't tell you what we discussed. But I'm just telling you there's going to be an agreement, it's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine. I could even say it's going to involve all of Europe. It's going to be a big beautiful agreement and everyone's going to be thrilled."
He did not meet with the representative from Ukraine.
Interior design order
The executive order was about the design of the Oval Office, designating it a national monument, meaning any physical changes to it would require congressional approval.
Trump has spent time during his second term glamming up the Oval, installing gold-coloured mouldings, hanging giant mirrors, and placing trinkets wherever space allows. He reportedly used Krazy glue to stick gold medallions to the fireplace. He has had "The Oval Office" painted on the wall in gold cursive script, and installed a "Presidential Walk Of Fame" on the Colonnade, featuring photographs of every president bar one. Where Joe Biden's portrait is supposed to be is a photograph of an autopen.
Trump said no major changes could be made going forward "without the approval of Congress." Democrats took control of both houses of Congress in Tuesday's election.
"I'm going to be signing a document which will make them into a landmark for the ages," he said. "It won't be able to be taken down, destroyed, touched, or anything else. It's a federal landmark."
A reporter noted that Hillary Clinton had criticised his use of gold in decorating. "She did?" he replied. "I don't like her house either. I know her house very well."
