- Trump ruled out deploying American troops on the ground in Ukraine.
- He said the United States was ready to back European allies who were willing to commit personnel to Ukraine.
- Russia carried out its largest air assault in over a month, launching 270 drones and 10 missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force.
US President Donald Trump ruled out deploying American troops on the ground in Ukraine but said Washington could consider providing air support as part of a potential peace agreement to end Russia’s war.
Speaking a day after pledging security guarantees at a high-level White House summit, Trump said the United States was ready to back European allies who were willing to commit personnel to Ukraine, Reuters reported.
“When it comes to security, Europeans are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things — especially, probably … by air,” Trump told Fox News in an interview. He did not elaborate on the scope of such support. Later, in another interview, he described his approach to negotiating peace as “probably instinct more than process.”
Despite Trump’s assurances, the path to peace remains uncertain. Hours after Monday’s summit, Russia carried out its largest air assault in over a month, launching 270 drones and 10 missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force. The strikes set off major fires at energy facilities in the central Poltava region, where Ukraine’s only oil refinery is located.
Trump acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to negotiate. “We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
The specifics of U.S. military involvement remain unclear. Analysts note that “air support” could range from providing missile defense systems to enforcing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that such support was “an option and a possibility,” but stressed that no U.S. troops would be deployed on Ukrainian soil.
“The president has definitively stated U.S. boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine,” Leavitt told reporters. “But we can certainly help in coordination and provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies.”