U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington could provide air support as part of a peace agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, while firmly ruling out the deployment of American ground troops.
Speaking a day after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Trump told Fox News that the U.S. was “willing to help, especially, probably … by air” as Europe considered sending troops.
He did not clarify whether this meant missile defenses, surveillance, or enforcement of a possible no-fly zone. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that air support remained “an option and a possibility,” but declined to give details.
Trump, who has cast his negotiating approach as driven by “instinct more than process,” acknowledged the uncertainty of any deal, saying, “We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks.”
Hours after Zelenskyy’s Washington meetings, Russia launched its largest aerial assault in over a month, firing 270 drones and 10 missiles across Ukraine. The strikes caused major fires at energy facilities in the central Poltava region, including the country’s only oil refinery.
Zelenskyy hailed the White House summit as “a major step forward” toward peace and indicated that preparations were under way for a potential trilateral meeting with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Possible venues under consideration include Budapest, Istanbul, and neutral Switzerland. Hungary, seen as one of the few European countries Putin could visit without fear of arrest on ICC charges, has been floated, though Ukraine’s acceptance remains uncertain.
Trump himself appeared ambivalent about attending any summit, telling radio host Mark Levin: “Now I think it would be better if they met without me. … If necessary, I’ll go.”
Russia, however, has not confirmed interest in a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said only that the two sides had discussed raising the level of peace talks. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that any leader-level talks must be prepared “with the utmost thoroughness” rather than for “media coverage.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s allies convened in the “Coalition of the Willing” format to discuss tougher sanctions on Russia and coordinate security guarantees for Kyiv. NATO military chiefs are due to meet Wednesday, with U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Dan Caine expected to participate virtually.
Analysts warn that Russia could try to prolong negotiations to deflect pressure while holding firm on territorial demands, including land not under its current control.
Neil Melvin of the Royal United Services Institute said all parties were “tiptoeing around Trump” to avoid blame if talks collapse, noting the vagueness of Washington’s security promises.
More than a million people have been killed or wounded since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, making it Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Written By Rodney Mbua
