Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, seated from background left, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and President Donald Trump listen during a meeting Monday at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Alex Brandon / AP)
By The Associated Press August 19, 2025 at 9:10am
President Donald Trump offered his assurances Tuesday that U.S. troops would not be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia, after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before.
Trump also said in a morning TV interview that Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula from Russia are “impossible.”
The Republican president, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and other European leaders held hours of talks at the White House on Monday aimed at bringing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
While answering questions from journalists, Trump did not rule out sending U.S. troops to participate in a European-led effort to defend Ukraine as part of security guarantees sought by Zelenskyy.
Trump said after his meeting in Alaska last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Putin was open to the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine.
But asked Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” what assurances he could provide going forward and beyond his term that American troops would not be part of defending Ukraine’s border, Trump said, “Well, you have my assurance, and I’m president.”
Trump would have no control over the U.S. military after his term ends in January 2029.
The president also said in the interview that he is optimistic that a deal can be reached to end the Russian invasion, but he underscored that Ukraine will have to set aside its hope of getting back Crimea, which was seized by Russian forces in 2014, and its long-held aspirations of joining the NATO military alliance.
Do you approve of how Trump is handling the Ukraine-Russia situation?
“Both of those things are impossible,” Trump said.
Putin, as part of any potential deal to pull his forces out of Ukraine, is looking for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
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