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US, Europeans mull Ukraine security guarantees

Aug 20, 2025, 5:39am EDT
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte,
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

The US and its European allies are trying to hash out what security guarantees for Ukraine will look like, following President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump ruled out putting US troops on the ground in Ukraine, but the White House left the door open to air support, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling that “an option and a possibility.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine hosted a meeting Tuesday with European defense officials to talk through options for their political leadership, a defense official told Semafor, part of a series of engagements the administration has planned over the coming days.

There is a separate NATO meeting set for today. A deal to end the war remains far afield, as the US prepares for a potential sit-down between Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin; possible venues include Geneva and Budapest.

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