US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine but hinted that Washington might step in with air support as part of a possible peace deal with Russia.
The comments came just a day after Trump promised security guarantees for Ukraine at a rare White House summit, though what those guarantees might look like remains unclear.
“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 said on Fox News’ Fox & Friends. He didn’t go into details.
Only hours after the White House meeting, Russia unleashed its biggest air assault on Ukraine in more than a month, a sign that peace talks may face an uphill battle. Trump admitted Russian President Vladimir Putin might not be ready to strike a deal. “We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
What “air support” could mean
Exactly what role the US military might play is still uncertain. Air support could range from missile defense systems to fighter jets enforcing a no-fly zone.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed it was “an option and a possibility,” but, like Trump, gave no specifics. She did stress, however, that “US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine.”
The war, triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has already left more than a million people killed or wounded, according to analysts.
Zelenskiy pushes for peace talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called Monday’s White House talks a “major step forward” toward ending what has become Europe’s deadliest conflict in 80 years. He also praised Trump for backing a trilateral summit with Putin.
Trump has floated Budapest as a possible venue for the meeting, discussing the idea with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday. Istanbul, which has hosted previous Ukraine-Russia talks, is also on the table, while Switzerland has said it is ready to host Putin as well.
Hungary is one of the few European countries Putin could visit without risk of arrest under International Criminal Court warrants, thanks to Orban’s close ties with Moscow. It remains unclear if Ukraine would accept it as a location.
Russia hits back hard
As diplomatic discussions continued, Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles overnight, striking energy facilities in Ukraine’s Poltava region, home to the country’s only oil refinery. Massive fires broke out, Ukraine’s energy ministry said.
At the same time, Russia handed back the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Ukraine returned 19 Russian bodies in exchange, according to Moscow’s state-run TASS news agency.
Ukraine’s allies met separately on Tuesday under the “Coalition of the Willing” format, where they discussed ramping up sanctions on Russia. Planning teams are set to meet US officials in the coming days to work out concrete security guarantees for Kyiv. NATO military leaders will also meet Wednesday, with US Joint Chiefs chairman General Dan Caine expected to join virtually.
Is Putin serious?
While Trump claimed Putin requested direct talks with Zelenskiy, the Kremlin has yet to confirm. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow isn’t rejecting any peace format but warned any leaders’ meeting must be “prepared with utmost thoroughness.”
Putin, meanwhile, has made clear that he won’t accept NATO troops in Ukraine and is still demanding territory—including areas Russia doesn’t even control.
Experts warn the war could drag on. Neil Melvin, director of International Security at the Royal United Services Institute, said Moscow might use drawn-out negotiations to stall US pressure.
According to Melvin, both sides are being cautious in how they deal with Trump. “They’re all tiptoeing around Trump, not wanting to be seen as the obstacle to his peace process,” he said. But he also added that Trump’s promises of security guarantees are so vague “it’s very hard to take it seriously.”
