Taliban

The president says he was never briefed on intelligence, first reported by The New York Times, showing Russia had offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill Western forces in Afghanistan.

The step is meant to serve as an initial confidence-building measure and would last for seven days. A more formal agreement could be signed in the coming weeks.

Eight multinational corporations have been accused of making "protection payments" to terrorists, so that their businesses would be left alone.

"The Taliban wants to make a deal," President Trump said during his trip to Bagram Airfield, where he met with U.S. troops. "If they do, they do, and if they don't, they don't. That's fine."

In the attack on Sunday, a dozen Taliban militants were reportedly killed, including the militant group's shadow governor for Kapisa province.