Don warns of 'rough situation' if Kyiv-Moscow talks fail

Offers air power but no ground troops, asks Ukraine to accept land loss

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PRESIDENT Donald Trump said on Tuesday that US air support and European ground troops could be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, warning of a "rough" situation if talks between Moscow and Kyiv fail. "When it comes to security, they're willing to put people on the ground," he told Fox News, referring to European allies whom he met in the White House on Monday.

"We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you talk about by air, because no one has the kind of stuff we have, really, they don't," Trump said.

He added his "assurance" that no US ground troops would be deployed to Ukraine, and categorically ruled out Ukraine joining the Western military alliance NATO.

Post-war security is a key concern for Kyiv after more than three years of Russian invasion. Moscow has long said it will not tolerate Ukraine joining NATO and has been hostile to the idea of Western troops deploying to the former Soviet territory. Trump said that "France and Germany, a couple of them, UK—they want to have boots on the ground."