President Donald Trump gave “my assurance” that no U.S. troops would be sent to defend Ukraine’s border under any security arrangement that emerges from a potential peace deal to end Russia’s invasion.
Trump made the remarks during an interview on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning.
The comments came after his meeting on Monday at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. The discussions focused on Trump’s recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and efforts to find a path to end the war.
Trump indicated that European allies are willing to place troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of a security guarantee, while the U.S. would provide support “likely by air,” leveraging the superiority of American weapons.
“There’ll be some kind of security,” Trump said, stressing that it “can’t be NATO,” referencing Ukraine’s ambitions to join the U.S.-led alliance.
U.S., NATO Credibility on the Line: Macron
Key points of discussion include the future of Ukrainian territory—after Russia seized nearly a fifth of it during the invasion—and ensuring Ukraine’s security against further aggression by Moscow.
Zelensky has said he cannot give up land to Russia, citing constitutional constraints. European leaders have similarly cautioned against rewarding Russian aggression, warning that doing so could encourage Moscow to act elsewhere.
“What’s happening in Ukraine is extremely important for Ukrainian people, obviously, but for the whole security of Europe, because we speak about containing a nuclear power, which decided just not to respect international borders anymore,” French President Emmanuel Macron told NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
“And I think it’s very important for your country because it’s a matter of credibility. The way we behave in Ukraine will be a test for our collective credibility in the rest of the world,” he added.
Lavrov: Trump Understands Russia’s Perspective
Russia has argued that its invasion was driven by national security concerns related to Kyiv’s NATO ambitions. Moscow has also accused Ukraine of attempting to erase Russian cultural influence in the country.
Ukraine, meanwhile, accuses Russia of waging an imperial war aimed at absorbing Kyiv under Moscow’s control and erasing Ukrainian sovereignty and identity.
“President Trump and his team, especially after the meeting in Alaska, began to approach the resolution of this crisis more deeply, recognizing the need to address root causes,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Rossiya-24 TV Tuesday.
“One of these root causes is precisely Russia’s security, linked to decades of broken promises to prevent NATO expansion eastward.”
Trump is arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, aiming for it to occur before the end of August. Initially, it will be a bilateral session between the two leaders, with a potential trilateral meeting including Trump to follow if the first goes smoothly.
