Ukraine’s main demand has been that the United States itself provide security guarantees.
It appears that US President Donald Trump may be willing to provide security guarantees to prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine again.
Trump has told European leaders that he is ready to provide U.S. security guarantees to Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing European officials.
He made the disclosure while briefing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders about his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, USA, on Friday.
Putin had demanded that Trump recognize Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and the Donbass region, which he occupied, as Russian territory in order to end the war.
Putin has demanded ownership not only of the Ukrainian territory that Russia has so far occupied, but also of parts of the Donbas region that are not under its control.
Zelensky has already said such a demand would be invalid. But US security guarantees would be important for Ukraine.
Ukraine is primarily demanding guarantees that Russia will not attack Ukraine again for a peace agreement.
Britain and France are ready to deploy 30,000 troops to Ukraine to prevent another Russian invasion. Trump told Zelensky and European leaders that Putin had agreed in his talks with him that a Western military presence in Ukraine would be necessary to sustain the peace deal.
Trump has also indicated that he is prepared to provide such security guarantees from the US itself. Trump was not prepared to provide such security guarantees before.
Zelensky has been demanding that the United States also participate in the guarantee that European countries, including Britain and France, will keep their troops in Ukraine. But Trump was not ready for that. But now, Trump has said that the United States is ready to provide technical and logistical support to the armies of European countries.
He does not seem ready to keep American troops in Ukraine. Even if the US does not keep troops in Ukraine, a major demand of Ukraine would be met if the US guarantees military support to the European forces stationed there.
