Donald Trump sent to European and Ukrainian leaders that the United States is willing to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, but with certain conditions, they sent three familiar sources with the discussion.
Trump discussed Wednesday with European Photo Shutterstock leaders
The meeting took place on Wednesday, in virtual format, at the initiative of Germany, in order to coordinate the American and European positions before Trump's Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Politico.
The three sources – a European diplomat, a British official and an informed person about the discussion – said that the US is willing to play a certain role in providing the necessary means to discourage future acts of Russian aggression, if an armistice is reached. The informed person said that Trump said he would make this commitment unless the effort is not part of NATO.
Trump's opening to such guarantees-a key request for both Ukraine and Europe-partially explains the prudent optimism expressed by European officials after the discussion and before the meeting on Friday. Trump did not detail what he understands through security guarantees and spoke only about the general concept, the source said.
Trump acknowledges that an American security guarantee should be part of a final agreement and see the US as a role in this regard, said the British official.
The White House did not immediately respond to Trump's comments request to involve the US in a security guarantee.
Regardless of the form of guarantees, Trump has stressed that the US will not continue to directly provide weapons or troops, although it will sell weapons to Europe, which will be used by Kiev. This support is also likely to be limited – and it will certainly disappoint Ukraine supporters, who want more solid insurance from the US to discourage a new Russian invasion after the fight.
Although European and Ukrainian officials feel that Trump has considered their advice and follows an armistice, they remain cautious about what will happen when Trump and Putin will discuss four eyes.
While Europe has tried to outline arrangements for security guarantees without the direct involvement of the US – such as forming a troop coalition willing to defend a possible peace agreement – European leaders want American support for these steps.
Trump has opposed, in most of his mandate, the lethal military assistance for Ukraine. Although the US does not send weapons directly, he recently allowed Europe to buy American armament to be sent to Ukraine – a movement that the administration states that the pressure on Moscow has increased and convinced Putin to come to the negotiation table.
