In a recent interview, Donald Trump clarified that while U.S. ground troops will not be deployed in Ukraine, air support for European forces could be considered. He emphasized the need for Ukrainian President Zelenskyj to remain flexible in negotiations. Meanwhile, security guarantees for Ukraine are being discussed, though specifics remain unclear. Trump's meeting with Putin was described as having a 'warm feeling', but Putin's true intentions for peace are still uncertain.
Trump Signals Air Support for Ukraine Amid Peace Talks
"A Warm Feeling" – But Not Certain
Putin Wants Peace
Donald Trump has sent mixed signals about how the U.S. will ensure Ukraine's security following a peace agreement. However, he now asserts that American soldiers on Ukrainian soil are out of the question. Instead, support might be provided via air.
Ukraine will not become a part of NATO, and other countries will provide ground forces, the U.S. President announced in an interview with Fox News.
– France, Germany, and the UK want forces on the ground in Ukraine, he says.
The U.S. is ready to support in other ways, according to Trump. For instance, it might be possible to support potential European forces in Ukraine "via air."
"Guarantees Will Be Made"
At the same time, Trump emphasizes that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj must be "flexible" in negotiations.
Work is already underway to concretize the promised security guarantees for Ukraine after the war, Zelenskyj stated shortly before Trump's interview.
"Today we continue coordination at the leadership level," he wrote on X and continued:
"We will also continue working tomorrow. National security advisors are also in constant contact now. There will be security guarantees."
"Warm Feeling"
During Monday's Ukraine meetings in Washington, between Trump, Zelenskyj, and several European leaders, Trump promised American security guarantees for Ukraine. Later, however, he stated that the U.S. would rather "coordinate" the guarantees in question.
Exactly what these guarantees entail remains unclear.
It is also unclear whether Russia's President Vladimir Putin truly wants peace. In the Fox News interview, Trump says, "we'll see in the next two weeks."
When asked about the meeting with Putin in Alaska last Friday, Trump describes a "warm feeling" between the two presidents.
– When he got off his plane and I got off mine, there was a warmth there that you can't... It's a nice feeling, he says.