Key developments on Aug. 20:
- Around 10 European allies willing to send troops to Ukraine, talks accelerate on security guarantees, Bloomberg reports
- US may provide air support for Ukraine under peace deal, Trump says
- Putin discusses Ukraine war with Erdogan before potential meeting with Zelensky
- 'Russia once again provokes NATO countries' —Poland says Russian drone crashes near its village
- Security guarantees for Ukraine can't be discussed without Russia's participation, Lavrov claims
A package of security guarantees for Ukraine could be finalized as soon as this week, with European leaders moving quickly after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled support for the plan, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 19.
The initiative envisions the deployment of European troops as part of a potential peace deal to deter further Russian aggression, discussed during a White House summit on Aug. 18.
Talks among European officials the following day focused on proposals to send troops from the U.K. and France to Ukraine, along with contingents from roughly 10 other countries, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. Discussions included the size and positioning of the forces, though U.S. involvement in the guarantees remains uncertain.
"When it comes to security, they're willing to put people on the ground," Trump told Fox News. "We're willing to help them with things, especially — probably you could talk about by air, because there's nobody that has the kind of stuff we have, really they don't have. But I don't think it's going to be a problem.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later emphasized that Trump understood the guarantees were "critically important to ensure a lasting peace."
US may provide air support for Ukraine under peace deal, Trump says
The U.S. may provide air support to Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal with Russia, President Donald Trump told Fox News on Aug. 19.
"When it comes to security, (European allies) are willing to put people on the ground. We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, by air," Trump said, stressing that no U.S. troops would be deployed on Ukrainian soil.
Kyiv has long insisted on binding security guarantees from its allies to prevent Moscow from invading again after a ceasefire. Trump initially dismissed such guarantees as Europe's responsibility, but has recently shifted his position.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Aug. 19 that U.S. air support remains "an option and a possibility." She did not specify what form it could take, though air support could involve missile defense systems or a no-fly zone.
Putin discusses Ukraine war with Erdogan before potential meeting with Zelensky
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Aug. 20 to discuss the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin reported.
The call took place amid discussions over a potential venue for a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin. The Kremlin said Putin "noted with satisfaction Turkey's assistance in hosting talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul."
During the conversation, Putin also briefed Erdogan on his Aug. 16 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska, their first meeting since Trump took office in January.
Turkey has maintained direct ties with both Kyiv and Moscow since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022 and previously hosted negotiations between the two sides in Istanbul.
Erdogan proposed Turkey as a potential venue for a meeting between Putin and Zelensky in July.
Hungary is also being considered as a possible venue for a Zelensky–Putin meeting, Reuters reported on Aug. 19, citing a U.S. administration source. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the same day that such a summit could take place within two weeks.
'Russia once again provokes NATO countries' —Poland says Russian drone crashes near its village
Polish officials said on Aug. 20 that a Russian drone crashed overnight in a rural area of eastern Poland, describing the incident as a deliberate provocation amid international talks about ending the war in Ukraine.
This is not the first time a Russian drone has crashed on the territory of a NATO member.
Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that an object that fell into a cornfield near the village of Osiny was a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle. Osiny is located in Lublin Voivodeship, a province that borders Ukraine and Belarus.
"Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation using a Russian drone," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters at a press conference in Warsaw, according to Rzeczpospolita.
"Russia once again provokes NATO countries — after drone incidents that took place in Romania, Lithuania, and Latvia, as well as after airspace violations that occurred in almost all NATO countries," Kosiniak-Kamysz added.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland's Defense Ministry had briefed top military commanders, as well as security and foreign affairs officials, and that Poland's allies had been informed.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the incident was a fresh violation of Polish airspace "from the east" and announced that Warsaw would issue a diplomatic protest.
"There will be a protest from the Foreign Ministry against the perpetrator," Sikorski wrote on X.
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shop nowSecurity guarantees for Ukraine can't be discussed without Russia's participation, Lavrov says
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Aug. 20 that he believes security guarantees for Ukraine cannot be discussed without Russia's participation.
He added that "seriously discussing security issues without Russia is a road to nowhere."
Lavrov also said that the U.S., U.K., France, and China could provide equal security guarantees for Ukraine, insisting that Moscow must also play a role.
"As for reports that the U.K., France, and Germany want to develop collective security guarantees, we support making these guarantees truly reliable," Lavrov claimed.
The minister argued that any deal should be based on the framework discussed during the Istanbul talks in 2022, which failed to produce a peace agreement.
"Our delegation then agreed to work out security guarantees involving all permanent members of the UN Security Council — Russia, China, the U.S., France, and the U.K.," he said. "Germany and Turkey were mentioned, as well as others that may be interested in joining this group."
His comments come as European leaders accelerate negotiations on a package of security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded binding assurances from allies to prevent Russia from launching another invasion.
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