NATO Troops in Ukraine? Trump Says Putin Won’t Mind

US President Donald Trump has stated unequivocally that, if re-elected, he will not authorise the deployment of American troops to Ukraine. Speaking on Fox News, Trump explained that European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, would take the lead role in any security measures on the ground. “You have my assurance, and I’m president,” he said when asked to guarantee that no US forces would be sent to Ukraine. He added that his priority is “just trying to stop people being killed.”

During the same interview, Trump addressed the possibility of Ukraine regaining territories as part of potential agreements with Russia. He stated that Ukraine would recover “a lot of land,” emphasizing that the country would regain control and reduce civilian casualties. He referenced Donbas, noting that around 79% of the region is currently under Russian control. This statement came after his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 15 August and subsequent discussions in Washington on 18 August with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders. Preparations are reportedly underway for a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, followed by a trilateral meeting including Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested that the meeting could take place within the next two weeks, possibly in Hungary.

Trump also commented on the potential deployment of European NATO troops to Ukraine, indicating that he believes this would not pose a problem for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He reiterated that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is “categorically unacceptable” to Russia, but expressed optimism that consent could be obtained for NATO forces from European nations to be present in Ukraine. According to Trump, leaders from France, Germany, and the UK have expressed willingness to deploy their troops, and he suggested that Putin and other parties may be open to such arrangements.

In parallel, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly proposed a meeting in Moscow with Zelensky during a telephone conversation with Trump. However, Zelensky declined the offer while he was in the White House with European leaders, according to AFP sources cited by BFMTV. Meanwhile, Switzerland has confirmed its readiness to host a summit between Russia and Ukraine, promising immunity to Putin despite an active International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis highlighted Switzerland’s expertise and expressed strong confidence that the summit could take place, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni supporting Geneva as the preferred venue. Italy, while supportive, has also indicated its own readiness to host the talks.

The proposed summit is seen as a key step in moving toward negotiations that could establish security guarantees for Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a working group of national security advisers and NATO representatives to draft a plan outlining these guarantees. European leaders, including Macron and Starmer, have stressed that the crucial outcome of the White House talks was the US’s commitment to work with allies on such security assurances. Both sides appear cautiously optimistic that coordinated efforts and upcoming meetings could lay the groundwork for a structured resolution, while discussions continue over troop deployments, territorial recovery, and broader security arrangements for Ukraine.