The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a firm rejection of Western discussions about potential NATO troop deployments to Ukraine after the war ends.
“We reaffirm our repeatedly stated position on our categorical rejection of any scenarios that envisage the appearance in Ukraine of a military contingent with the participation of NATO countries, which is fraught with an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict with unpredictable consequences,” the ministry said in a statement.
President Donald Trump, European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed security guarantees for Ukraine at a summit on Monday. “During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after meeting with Zelensky. “Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.”
On Tuesday, the US president told “Fox and Friends” that a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine and the post-war settlement could include European deployments and potentially US air support. “When it comes to security, [Europeans] are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you talk about it by air because nobody has stuff we have,” he explained.
American officials walked away from last Friday’s summit in Alaska believing that Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to accept Western security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.
As well as the possible troop deployments, Western leaders have discussed other forms of security guarantees with Kiev, including an Article 5-style arrangement that would emulate NATO’s own collective defense provision.
