Trump Rules Out US Troops in Ukraine, But Is Open to Air Support

Western Allies Preparing to Deploy 'Reassurance Force' If Hostilities End

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WASHINGTON - Top US and European military officers met in Washington on Aug. 19 to discuss the mechanics of a possible Ukraine peace deal, after US President Donald Trump ruled out sending American troops to back an agreement but suggested air support instead.

In a flurry of diplomacy aimed at ending the war, Mr. Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to the White House on Aug. 18, three days after his landmark encounter with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

But while Mr. Trump said Mr. Putin had agreed to meet Mr. Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine, those promises have been met with extreme caution by Kyiv and Western capitals, and many details remain vague.

Mr. Putin proposed holding the summit with Mr. Zelensky in Moscow, three sources familiar with Mr. Trump's phone call to the Russian leader on Aug. 18 told AFP. One source said that Mr. Zelensky immediately said no to a meeting in the capital of his country's invader.

The US President, nevertheless, said he remained "optimistic" about the process after having met separately with Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky.

"Now I thought it would be better if they met without me, just to see," Mr. Trump told conservative host Mark Levin on his syndicated radio show on Aug. 19. "We'll see how they do."

As Western leaders push for an agreement, US General Dan Caine held talks on the evening of Aug. 19 with European military chiefs.