U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged that the United States will not deploy ground troops to Ukraine, even as Washington takes part in shaping post-war security guarantees for Kyiv.
Speaking in a Fox News interview on Tuesday, a day after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House, Trump gave a direct assurance: “You have my assurance.”
Trump clarified that while European nations are considering placing personnel on the ground, the U.S. role will focus primarily on air support and technological superiority. “We’re willing to help them with things, especially probably … by air because there’s nobody that has the kind of stuff we have,” he said, stressing America’s unmatched military capacity.
Trump emphasized that post-war security for Ukraine would be coordinated primarily by European countries. He added that the U.S. would remain “involved” but avoid entanglement through boots on the ground.
The debate over security guarantees has become a sticking point in Trump’s attempt to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. While European leaders have welcomed Washington’s readiness to coordinate, Trump acknowledged that Russia views any deepening Western involvement with suspicion.
In a social media post, Trump noted that guarantees “would be provided by the various European Countries, with coordination with the United States of America.”
He dismissed fears of conflict escalation, saying he did not expect this arrangement to be a “problem.”
Despite backing Ukraine’s defense, Trump reaffirmed his opposition to granting NATO membership to Kyiv. Highlighting Article 5 of the alliance, he argued it would dangerously escalate tensions: “Who would want that? If you were Russia, who would want to have your enemy, your opponent, sitting on your line?”
Trump disclosed that he excused himself during Monday’s meetings to call Russian President Vladimir Putin. He briefed Putin on the talks and floated the possibility of a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky, saying relations between the two leaders are “getting along a little better than I thought.”
Trump revealed that Putin “very happily” received the call, though the Kremlin later refrained from endorsing such a meeting.
He insisted that both sides must show flexibility: “It takes, in this case, two to tango.”
Trump underscored that while the U.S. will support diplomacy, ultimate responsibility lies with Kyiv and Moscow. “They’re the ones that have to call the shots,” he told Fox. “We’re 7,000 miles away, in all fairness.”
The U.S. president has signaled openness to joining a trilateral summit if initial talks succeed, but he continues to frame Washington’s role as supportive rather than central. For Ukraine, this assurance balances American backing with Trump’s clear intent to avoid U.S. military entanglement on the ground.