U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine in a potential breakthrough that could help end the Kremlin's war against Kyiv.
“He will accept that. I have asked him that question,” Trump said of Putin, when asked directly about the deployment of European troops. “Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for more war ... I’ve specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it.”
If Trump has interpreted Putin correctly, it would be a major U-turn from the Russians, who have insisted that deploying foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine would represent an escalation.
Sitting beside French President Emmanuel Macron in the Oval Office, Trump also expressed confidence the war could end "within weeks," but warned that, without an agreement, the fighting could spiral into "World War III."
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are both visiting Washington this week to convince the Trump administration to continue supporting both Ukraine and the transatlantic relationship that has underpinned European security for eight decades following World War II.
Trump's decision to speak with Putin and brand Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" sent European leaders scrambling to prepare for a world in which they could no longer depend on Washington as a reliable ally. These fears have been compounded by American officials reiterating Russian talking points that Ukraine should give up territory and not join NATO.
European leaders on Monday traveled to Kyiv for a show of support and to announce several new aid packages, while finance ministers in Brussels discussed the possibility of seizing frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine if the United States were to withdraw its support.
Back in Washington, Trump made clear he expected Europe to bear the brunt of any security assurances in a potential cease-fire.
“Europe is going to make sure that nothing happens. I don’t think that is going to be much of a problem, once we settle, there’s going to be no more war in Ukraine," he said.
Politico
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