President Barack Obama made impromptu remarks Friday from the White House as Congress finishes its last votes before a five-week recess.

Highlights points from the president's remarks are below:

After 9-11, U.S. “tortured some folks”

President Barack Obama says in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the United States did things that were wrong and crossed the line. He says, quote, "we tortured some folks."

Obama is commenting on a Senate investigation into the CIA's interrogation techniques. A report on that investigation's results is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Obama says it's important to remember how horrified Americans were after 9/11. But he says it's important to remember the U.S. must live up to its values.

Obama also says he has full confidence in CIA Director John Brennan. The CIA director has apologized to senators after the CIA's inspector general found agency employees improperly searched the computers of Senate staffers conducting the investigation into post-9/11 interrogation and detention practices.

“Russia, Putin ignoring their own interests”

President Barack Obama says the U.S. is limited in what it can do to deter Russia's actions in Ukraine because Russia and President Vladimir Putin are ignoring their long-term interests.

Obama says the U.S. has done everything possible to support Ukraine's government and to deter Russia. But he says short of going to war, there are going to be constraints about what the U.S. can do.

Obama says the U.S. is imposing sufficient costs, and Russia should want to take the needed steps to get economic sanctions lifted.

But Obama says, quote, "people don't always act rationally." He says sometimes people don't act based on their own interests.

Obama says the U.S. must keep working to de-escalate the conflict.

“Release Israeli soldier in Gaza”

President Barack Obama is calling for the unconditional and immediate release of an Israeli soldier who was apparently captured in a clash with Hamas militants.

Obama says it will be difficult to put back together the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel that collapsed Friday. But he says the U.S. will continue working toward a cease-fire. He says Israel committed to the cease-fire, but the cease-fire was violated.

Obama says it's heartbreaking to see what's happening in Gaza. He says he wants to see everything possible done to ensure Palestinian civilians aren't killed.

Obama says Israel must be able to defend itself, but that irresponsible actions by Hamas have put civilians in danger.

The truce was brokered by the U.S. and U.N. but collapsed less than two hours after it began.

“GOP not even trying to solve immigration”

President Barack Obama says House Republicans are trying to pass the most extreme and unworkable version of an immigration bill even though they know the bill isn't going anywhere.

Republicans are pushing legislation that could clear the way for eventual deportation of more than 500,000 immigrants brought here illegally as kids and address the surge of immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Obama says Republicans know that legislation won't succeed in the Senate. He says Republicans aren't even trying to solve the problem. He says they're just trying check a box before leaving town for the annual August recess.

Obama says he will have to act alone to address the crisis because the government is running out of money to deal with it.

“Economy stronger, Congress should do more”

President Barack Obama says the economy is getting stronger, adding "engines are revving a bit louder."

Obama is praising the July hiring and advances by the U.S. economy.

The president cites new data showing that employers added 209,000 jobs last month - the sixth straight month of job growth above 200,000.

But Obama says Congress has blocked steps that would maintain that momentum or even accelerate the recovery.

Obama has been pushing legislation to raise the minimum wage and to broadly increase spending on infrastructure projects.

The unemployment rate ticked up in July to 6.2 percent from 6.1 percent as more Americans started looking for work.

Obama, Putin discuss Ukraine, missile treaty

President Barack Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday that the United States remains deeply concerned that Russia is ramping up support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. It was the first conversation between the leaders since the U.S. and Europe slapped a new round of economic sanctions on Moscow.

In a phone call, Obama also raised concerns that Russia violated a key Cold War era nuclear weapons treaty, the White House said. The Obama administration has said Russia violated a 1987 treaty that bans all U.S. and Russian missiles of intermediate range, meaning those that can travel between about 300 miles and about 3,400 miles.

In Moscow, the Kremlin said Putin had characterized the sanctions during the phone call as counterproductive, adding that they seriously damage bilateral cooperation and general global stability.

The Kremlin said both Obama and Putin underscored the urgency for bringing an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine and spoke positively about a meeting that took place the day before in Minsk, Belarus, among members of a diplomatic "contact group" pursuing an end to hostilities. That group includes representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

In a lengthy statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry also criticized the U.S. report that included the allegation that Russia had violated the treaty.

"The claims are put forward practically without evidence, based on strange deductions and suppositions," the statement said.

The Obama-Putin call came as the U.S. was poised to send an additional $27 million in military aid to Ukraine in an effort to strengthen the struggling nation's national guard and beef up its ability to protect its border. The money comes amid increased congressional pressure on the administration to increase support for Ukraine as it battles Russian-backed separatists.

U.S. officials said the aid includes $19 million for the Ukrainian National Guard and $8 million for border security, including surveillance equipment, armored vehicles, and small boats.

On Thursday, five Republican senators sent Obama a letter calling on Obama to supply Ukraine with weapons and not just non-lethal assistance.

"A failure to provide appropriate lethal assistance to Ukraine would lead Putin to conclude that the West is not willing to stand against his aggression and clear violations of international law," said the letter signed by Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, John McCain of Arizona, Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

At least 12,000 Russian troops are gathered close to Ukraine's eastern border. The U.S. has complained about Moscow sending heavy military equipment across the border to support the separatists, including surface-to-air missile systems that officials say were likely used to shoot down a Malaysian Airlines flight.

Also Friday, Vice President Joe Biden called Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to announce the border assistance and to discuss the "increasing prevalence" of artillery and rocket fire into Ukraine from Russia, the White House said.

According to the White House, Poroshenko did say that access to the site of last month's Malaysian airline crash that killed nearly 300 people had been secured despite continued fighting in the vicinity. The crash, which the West has blamed on separatists using Russian-made missiles, is the subject of an international investigation.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.