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U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he is willing to commit the United States to supporting Ukraine’s defense in the future, provided he is confident that Russia will not attempt another invasion.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said, “I am firmly convinced they will not invade again, otherwise I would not agree to this.”
The New York Times notes that Trump responded to a question about whether he would enter a war to defend Ukraine if Russia violated any ceasefire agreement and attacked again. As part of ongoing peace negotiations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought security guarantees from Western countries, including the U.S., ensuring their support in the event of a future conflict.
The publication adds that Trump’s comments went further than he has ever stated publicly, signaling a willingness to formally commit, at least in principle, to such guarantees.
At the same time, Trump expressed continued confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stated desire for peace, despite Russia’s reluctance to end the war after nearly a year of talks with the Trump administration. “I think he wants a deal. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Trump said.
Asked about a potential peace deal requiring U.S. and allied military support for Ukraine in case of a renewed Russian invasion, Trump interrupted to emphasize that the U.S. would play a secondary role. “Let’s put it this way: its allies, all of Europe, other countries involved—and the United States,” he said.
Trump also claimed there were instances when he had reached agreements with Putin that Zelensky declined, and vice versa. “I think now they both want a deal, but we’ll see,” he added.
Trump made clear he is not ready to promise increased U.S. support for Ukraine if Putin continues to resist de-escalation, and he did not specify a timeline for ending the war. “I just don’t want to be in a situation where I have to say this because I have to try to save lives… We are doing everything we can. I don’t have a specific timeframe,” he said.
Security guarantees
Yesterday, President Zelensky noted that a bilateral security guarantees document between Ukraine and the U.S. is essentially ready, with the next step being finalization at the highest level.
“Complex issues regarding the basic framework for ending the war have been discussed, and the Ukrainian side has presented possible options to finalize the document. We understand the U.S. side will communicate with Russia, and we expect feedback on whether the aggressor is genuinely ready to end the war,” Zelensky added.
According to Axios, a meeting between Zelensky and Trump to finalize the security guarantees could take place as early as next week.
