“We’ll let you know that, maybe later today,” Trump said during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
His openness to allowing American troops onto the ground in Ukraine could make for a major shift, as Ukraine considers security guarantees to be critical for any eventual peace deal with Russia.
Trump stated repeatedly that Europe would take the lead in securing the peace but that the US would be involved.
“They are first line of defense, because they’re there, Europe. But we’re going to help them out. Also, we’ll be involved,” he noted.
“We have people waiting in another room, right now, they’re all here from Europe. Biggest people in Europe. And they want to give protection. They feel very strongly about it and we’ll help them out with that,” Trump added a bit later. “I think it’s very important to get the deal done.”
Trump stressed if there were a peace deal, it would hold.
“I think if we can get to peace, it’s going to work. I have no doubt about it,” he continued.
Trump said that regardless of how the meetings with Zelensky and European leaders turns out, American support for Ukraine will remain.
Trump was asked by a reporter: “Is this the end of the road for American support for Ukraine. Is today’s meeting deal or no deal?”
He responded, “I can never say that. It’s never the end of the road. People are being killed and we want to stop that. So, I would not say it’s the end of the road.”
Trump said he likes “the concept” of a ceasefire but he downplayed his earlier call for one, advocating instead for a broader peace deal.
“I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you’d stop killing people immediately, as opposed to in two weeks, or one week, or whatever it takes,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office while meeting with Zelensky.
“We’re working on a peace deal while they’re fighting, they have to fight. I wish they could stop. I’d like them to stop, but strategically, that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other,” Trump added.
“I can also understand strategically, why, well, you know, one country or the other wouldn’t want it. You have a ceasefire, and they rebuild and rebuild and rebuild. And you know, maybe they don’t want that.”
Trump also stated he “didn’t do any ceasefires” in other conflicts that he’s claimed to resolve. Yet he touted his efforts in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May.
Trump also stressed that Ukraine will not join the NATO military bloc but will receive protection from Washington.
“No NATO but we’ll protect them.”
