Trump Rejects US Troop Deployment in Ukraine

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Washington — President Donald Trump has firmly rejected the possibility of sending US ground troops to Ukraine as part of future security guarantees, even as peace negotiations with Russia show fragile signs of progress. Instead, Trump indicated the United States could provide air support to help enforce a potential agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump assured listeners — including his America-first base — that no US soldiers would be deployed to Ukraine. “You have my assurance, and I’m president,” he declared. However, he left open the option of Washington backing Kyiv from the skies, calling air assistance “probably” the most viable form of support.

The remarks follow an extraordinary White House summit on Monday, where Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside European leaders. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had earlier hailed Trump’s willingness to offer security guarantees as a potential breakthrough. Yet Trump clarified that these assurances would not involve NATO membership for Ukraine or American troops on the ground.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that both Putin and Zelenskyy had expressed interest in direct talks. France has proposed Geneva as a neutral venue, while Moscow suggested hosting Zelenskyy in Russia — an offer the Ukrainian leader declined. With Putin expected at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China later this month, arranging face-to-face talks remains complicated.

Meanwhile, European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urged Trump to adopt a tougher position against Moscow. Several allies floated the idea of deploying a European reassurance force to Ukraine, but Trump resisted, consistent with his long-standing America First policy.

Russia has dismissed any proposal involving NATO troops in Ukraine as a “red line.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that a summit between Putin and Zelenskyy would need “very thorough preparation,” while Kremlin officials suggested raising the level of talks rather than committing to a presidential meeting.

Despite upbeat rhetoric, the gulf between Moscow and Kyiv remains wide. Putin insists on Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk, while Zelenskyy has drawn a hard line, refusing to cede additional territory or limit Ukraine’s armed forces.

Former French ambassador Gérard Araud cautioned that little real progress has been made, describing recent summits as “the triumph of empty vagueness and meaningless commitments.”

For Ukraine, security guarantees remain the key issue. Zelenskyy said they could be formalized “within 10 days,” stressing that only a strong Ukrainian military combined with international assurances can safeguard peace.

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