Trump says U.S. won’t send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine

President Donald Trump said today that no U.S. troops would be placed on the ground to protect Ukraine as part of any peace agreement with Russia, as European leaders met for urgent talks over what a postwar security arrangement could look like.

In an interview on Fox News, Trump said that the United States could help in other ways, including air support. When the hosts asked him about any “assurances” he could make that there would be no U.S. “boots on the ground,” and he replied, “Well, you have my assurance, and I’m president.”

The shape of postwar security arrangements for Ukraine dominated discussions among European leaders the day after hastily arranged meetings with Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the White House, which showcased solidarity with Ukraine but yielded few details on how the war with Russia could end.

The White House meetings produced smiles and warmth among Trump, Zelenskyy and European allies — but few public signs of tangible progress toward an end to the war. That will require follow-through from Trump, potentially sweeping concessions from Zelenskyy and a willingness by Russia to stop attacking Ukraine. Overnight, Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine, causing injuries and damage to infrastructure and energy facilities, Ukrainian officials said, a day after at least 14 people were killed in Russian strikes.

Zelenskyy, whom Trump greeted more warmly than in their previous Oval Office meeting, when he berated the Ukrainian leader as insufficiently grateful, pointed to progress with the United States on security guarantees to keep Russia from invading again, though he left without a formal agreement. He said Ukraine would purchase $90 billion in American weapons through Europe as part of the security guarantees. In return, the United States would buy drones from Ukraine, he said.

But wide gaps remained between Russia’s demand for territorial concessions and Ukraine’s insistence on a ceasefire to stop Moscow’s deadly attacks. Trump, who is pressing for a quick peace deal, says one can be reached without a ceasefire.

After the gathering Monday, Trump said on social media that he had begun “arrangements” for a face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. But today, the Kremlin played down the prospect of such a meeting.

Trump and Putin held a “frank and very constructive” 40-minute call after the meeting with Zelenskyy and the European leaders, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide. The two men had agreed that more senior negotiators would be appointed for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, Ushakov told Rossiya 24, a state-run news channel, but he made no mention of Putin participating.

When he met with Trump in Alaska last week, Putin refused to accept a ceasefire.

Here’s what else to know:

— Ceasefire push: At the meeting Monday, some European officials pressed Trump on the need to secure an urgent ceasefire, which they argued would help stop the growing civilian death toll in Ukraine and create stability for genuine peace negotiations. But aware that Trump dislikes the term “ceasefire,” they are calling it a “truce” instead.

— U.S. military aid: The $90 billion in American weapons Zelenskyy said would be part of sweeping security agreements with Western allies could include sophisticated weapons that are in short supply in Ukraine: air defense systems and war planes. How Ukraine would pay for them remained unclear.

— Peacekeeping force: Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said proposed security guarantees would include an international force stationed in Ukraine after a ceasefire or peace agreement. That contingent could be as small as a few hundred observer troops, or a defensive force in the tens of thousands. While Trump has suggested Putin would be fine with European troop deployments, Russia has rejected the idea.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

© 2025 The New York Times Company