Washington (TDI): President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will not deploy ground forces to Ukraine but left the door open to offering air support as part of a possible peace agreement aimed at ending Russia-Ukraine war.
The remarks came a day after Trump promised security guarantees for Kyiv during what observers called an extraordinary White House summit. While the pledge was hailed as a step toward ending the conflict, the exact shape of U.S. military assistance remained uncertain.
“When it comes to security, Europeans are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, probably by air,” Trump told Fox News in an interview. He did not elaborate on what form that support could take.
The president’s comments followed Russia’s largest aerial bombardment of Ukraine in more than a month, underscoring how fragile the push for peace remains. Trump admitted that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be ready to compromise. “We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
Read More: Trump, Putin Talks Make Progress But No Accord on Ukraine War
Military experts say U.S. air support could range from providing missile-defense systems to enforcing a no-fly zone with fighter aircraft. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that air support was “an option,” while reiterating that American ground troops will not be sent into the conflict.
“The President has been clear: no boots on the ground in Ukraine. But we can assist with coordination and other security guarantees for our European partners,” Leavitt told reporters.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has killed or wounded more than a million people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the White House talks as a “major step forward” toward ending the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. He confirmed plans for a trilateral summit with Trump and Putin, though details remain unsettled.
Read More: Trump Rules Out Ukraine Deal Without Zelensky
Trump has floated Budapest as a possible venue, after speaking with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with Moscow. Istanbul and neutral Switzerland have also been mentioned as potential hosts, Reuters reported. Whether Ukraine would agree to Budapest remains unclear, given Hungary’s stance toward Russia.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
