They won't pay: When Trump laughed off JD Vance's Indian troops in Ukraine plan

A new book claims Donald Trump rejected JD Vance's proposal to consider Indian peacekeepers for a Ukraine ceasefire mission, saying "Indians won't pay." The account describes internal debates within Trump's administration over ending the Russia-Ukraine war and alternative peacekeeping arrangements.

In Short

• The January Oval Office meeting focused on shaping Trump’s Ukraine endgame
• Keith Kellogg presented a ceasefire plan with foreign troop monitoring
• JD Vance warned Nato peacekeepers could provoke Moscow and widen conflict

A book titled Regime Change, released on June 23, describes a behind-the-scenes disagreement within Donald Trump's second administration over its approach to the war in Ukraine, including discussions on whether Indian or Saudi Arabian troops could be deployed as peacekeepers in the conflict involving Russia, a key Indian ally.

According to the book by The New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, the disagreement emerged during an Oval Office meeting on January 30, 2025, ten days after Trump's second inauguration, when Vice President JD Vance floated the idea of a non-European force for a ceasefire mission.

The book says Trump rejected the idea of India’s involvement straight away, responding with a laugh and saying, “The Indians won’t do that. They won’t pay for something like that.”

The exchange took place at a meeting called by retired Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, whom Trump had named special presidential envoy for Ukraine and Russia, to set out the administration’s “commander’s intent” for bringing the war to an end.

At the meeting, Kellogg presented a draft plan titled “An America First Plan: Trump’s Historic Peace Deal for Russia-Ukraine War.” Under the proposal, the United States would not formally recognise Russia’s claims over occupied Ukrainian territory, while Ukraine would agree not to try to take those areas back by force. The plan also included a ceasefire monitoring arrangement involving foreign troops on the ground.

Regime Change says Kellogg’s draft proposed that European countries such as France, Britain and the Netherlands could send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. Vance is said to have objected to that part of the proposal, arguing that the presence of troops from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or Nato, member states inside Ukraine could be seen by Moscow as a serious provocation.

According to the book, he warned that such a move could heighten tensions, widen the conflict and increase the chance of the United States being drawn further into the war.

Looking for an alternative to a mission staffed by Nato countries, Vance reportedly asked National Security Advisor Michael Waltz whether troops from outside Europe could oversee a ceasefire in Ukraine.

After Waltz agreed that a non-European force would be preferable, Vance suggested India and Saudi Arabia as possible countries for the role.

The book says Trump dismissed India’s participation despite remarking that he had a strong relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that Modi “really liked him and wanted to visit.” It adds that Trump said “the Indians do not ever pay for anything” and repeated that “they won’t pay for something like that.”

Trump, according to the book, said he had no basic objection if Britain or France chose to send their own troops to monitor the zone, as long as the United States was protected from any financial or military commitment. Beyond that exchange, the book describes an administration that was deeply distrustful of the Ukrainian leadership and guided heavily by Trump’s own instincts.

During Kellogg’s presentation, the book says Trump repeatedly cut in to attack Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “bad negotiator” who had “destroyed his country” but was “really good at getting stuff from the Biden administration.” Trump also allegedly described Ukraine as “the most corrupt country in the world.”

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