The possibility of sending U.S. or European troops to Ukraine was not discussed during President Volodymyr Zelensky's Aug. 18 meeting in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Fox News.
"We have not discussed that at all today," Rutte said when asked whether foreign troops could be deployed. "That will be part of the discussions, which will now start. We will try to bring them to the next stage of understanding over the coming days and weeks, of course."
Zelensky arrived in Washington on Aug. 18 with a delegation of European leaders after Trump's Aug. 15 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump has positioned himself as a mediator seeking a ceasefire, while European leaders have pressed for firm security guarantees for Kyiv.
"We discussed the security guarantees, and we will work on those over the coming days and then have another meeting virtually with this group of leaders and the president (Trump)," Rutte added.
Ukraine has long stressed the importance of binding security guarantees from its allies after a potential ceasefire, warning that without firm commitments, Russia could regroup and launch another invasion.
France and the U.K. have already pledged to contribute troops to a potential international force tasked with enforcing a ceasefire. Leaders have met repeatedly to discuss security guarantees, with some allies willing to provide ground troops while others focus on air and naval support.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who joined Zelensky and Trump in Washington, said after the meeting that security guarantees would not include NATO membership but instead rely on a strong Ukrainian army backed by commitments from the "coalition of the willing."
The coalition includes more than 30 countries, among them European states, Canada, and Japan. Trump avoided giving a clear answer when asked whether U.S. troops could be part of the guarantees.
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