Trump offers 'assurance' of sending no ground troops to Ukraine
NEW YORK -- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will help defend Ukraine after its war with Russia, but that there will not be US troops on the ground.
"You have my assurance," Trump said in a Fox News interview, a day after hosting a White House summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders.
Trump said on Monday during meetings at the White House that the United States would be "involved" in security guarantees for Ukraine after its war with Russia but did not elaborate. He added more clarity in the morning interview with "Fox & Friends."
"When it comes to security, they're willing to put people on the ground," Trump said, referring to the European countries.
"We're willing to help them with things, especially probably ... by air because there's nobody that has the kind of stuff we have."
"The issue of security guarantees for Ukraine -- and potential US involvement in them -- has proved to be a sticking point as Trump works to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia," reported The Washington Post about the development.
"European leaders have been encouraged that Trump appears open to a US role in peacekeeping in Ukraine, but that could complicate negotiations with Russia, which has spent years working to counter increased military support for Ukraine by its allies," it noted.
The White House rarely hosts so many foreign dignitaries at once as it did on Monday, when Zelensky and European leaders arrived to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict with Trump.
The Monday meetings at the White House mainly focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and a possible trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Disagreements remain on some key issues, such as whether a ceasefire is necessary before further negotiations.
The latest talks came three days after the US and Russian presidents met in the US state of Alaska, when progress was reportedly made but no deal was announced.
