European nations want 'boots on the ground' as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, says US president
US President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday to demonstrate "flexibility" in negotiations to end the war with Russia.
In a Fox News interview after landmark talks with Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Washington, Trump said he hopes the Ukrainian president "will do what he has to do" and "show some flexibility" in upcoming talks.
He also referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he spoke to after Monday's White House meeting. "I hope President Putin is going to be good, and if he is not, it is going to be a rough situation," Trump said in the interview
- Security guarantees
Trump once again ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine but said some European nations were planning to deploy their military as part of security guarantees to Kyiv.
"They are not going to be a part of NATO," Trump said, adding that France, Germany and the UK "want to have boots on the ground."
These comments follow Monday's White House meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The discussions focused on resolving the Russia-Ukraine war and came after Trump's recent Alaska summit with Putin.
Following his subsequent phone call with Putin, Trump announced plans for a bilateral meeting between the Russian leader and Zelenskyy, followed by a three-way meeting that would include himself.
