US, NATO planners start to craft Ukraine security guarantee options
Ukraine and its European allies have been buoyed by Trump's promise during a summit on Monday of security guarantees for Kyiv, but many questions remain unanswered.
Officials told Reuters that the Pentagon is carrying out planning exercises on the support Washington could offer beyond providing weapons.
But they cautioned that it would take time for U.S. and European planners to determine what would be both militarily feasible and acceptable to the Kremlin.
One option was sending European forces to Ukraine but putting the U.S. in charge of their command and control, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The sources added that the troops would not be under a NATO banner but operate under their own nations' flags.
The Pentagon and NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the idea.
In a press briefing, the White House said that the United States could help coordinate a security guarantee for Ukraine.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has ruled out the deployment of troops from NATO countries to help secure a peace deal.
Trump has publicly ruled out deploying U.S. troops in Ukraine but on Tuesday appeared to leave the door open to other U.S. military involvement.
In an interview with Fox News "Fox & Friends" program, he suggested Washington could provide air support to Ukraine.
"When it comes to security, (Europeans) are willing to put people on the ground, we're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, ... by air because nobody has stuff we have, really they don't have," Trump said.
He did not provide further details.
U.S. air support could come in a variety of ways including providing more air defense systems to Ukraine and enforcing a no-fly zone with U.S. fighter jets.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022, the United States has shipped billions of dollars worth of weapons and munitions to Kyiv.
The Trump administration briefly halted those weapons shipments, including after a contentious White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in February and again in July.
Shipments have resumed and Trump has pledged to send weapons, primarily defensive ones, to help the war-torn country.
NATO military chiefs will focus on Ukraine and the way forward when they meet virtually on Wednesday, a conference first reported by Reuters.
U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, who also oversees NATO operations in Europe, will brief the chiefs of defense on the Alaska meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said U.S. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was expected to attend the meeting.
The official added that Caine would meet with some of his European counterparts in Washington on Tuesday evening.
Trump has pressed for a quick end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies have worried he could seek to force an agreement on Russia's terms after the president last week rolled out the red carpet for Putin.
Russia says it is engaged in a 'special military operation' in Ukraine to protect its national security, claiming NATO's eastward expansion and Western military support for Ukraine pose existential threats. Kyiv and its Western allies say the invasion is an imperial-style land grab.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump Ukraine plans prompts Pentagon peace summit with UK military chiefs
The Pentagon meeting, attended by Britain's top military chiefs, came amid deep unease in European capitals over the US president's changing stance about committing US resources British military chiefs are gathering at the Pentagon tonight to discuss exactly what role America is prepared to play in ensuring Ukraine's future security. The meeting, along with other European generals, comes amid deep unease in European capitals over Donald Trump's changing stance about committing US resources. Security minister Dan Jarvis yesterday said the talks about ending the war in Ukraine marked a "pivotal moment". "We are closer to peace than we've been at any point previously,' he said. 'And the UK Government - the Prime Minister has been clear about this - will want to play our full part in terms of ensuring that we secure that peace." Asked whether he is uncomfortable about "kowtowing" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Jarvis said he would describe it as "diplomacy" and "the best strategy to try and get a peace settlement". The minister added: "I think in situations such as this, you've got to be pragmatic. "The loss of life in Ukraine is horrific. "This is a conflict that has gone on for far too long. It needs to be brought to an end." Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, led the UK delegation at the Pentagon in Washington DC. He is understood to have told his American counterparts the UK is prepared to send troops to defend Ukraine's skies and seas but not to the frontline with Russia, as planning intensifies for a postwar settlement. Radakin joined senior counterparts from Germany, France, Finland and Italy in what officials described as a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing.' According to a senior UK official, last night's formal Pentagon session focused on 'security guarantees and peace deal monitoring. " The discussions were held behind closed doors, but were closely watched for any indication of what Washington is willing to put on the table. Trump has already drawn a firm line. On Monday, as Ukrainian leader Volodmyr Zelensky arrived at the White House, he initially said US troops could play a role, but he later stated it would not happen. His stance, while not unexpected, raises pressing questions about whether the US is prepared to provide other forms of support, ranging from intelligence sharing to air defence and the use of US bases in Europe. At the heart of the talks lies the single issue of whether Trump is willing to offer Ukraine what his adviser Steve Witkoff this week described as 'Article-5-like' assurance. It echoes NATO's principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all. For Ukraine, currently outside the Alliance, such pledges would be unprecedented. For Moscow, they would be viewed as a direct escalation. Ahead of last night's meeting, one Western diplomat said the 'vagueness' of Trump's language had fuelled confusion and anxiety. "European leaders need to know whether this is political theatre or an actual commitment,' they said. 'The difference could shape the entire outcome of the war.' There are also questions over whether coalition forces could rely on US military infrastructure in Europe to support operations. Bases in Germany, Italy and the UK remain critical hubs for NATO, but their use under a purely European-led mission would require White House consent. Another item on the agenda was intelligence sharing. Ukraine's battlefield successes have been heavily reliant on US surveillance and satellite imagery. Any scaling back could benefit Russia, while enhanced guarantees would signal long-term American engagement. Perhaps the most contentious proposal, said to be raised privately by some European chiefs, is whether to consider a no-fly zone in parts of Ukraine. While seen as highly unlikely under Trump, the fact that it remains on the list underscores European concern about Moscow's continued aerial bombardment. The Pentagon talks are not expected to yield immediate announcements. Officials stressed that discussions will continue in the coming weeks. Yet Putin cannot ignore the symbolism of five of Europe's top generals flying to Washington to hear Trump's position firsthand. One defence analyst said: 'This is the moment Europe finds out whether Trump is prepared to lead, or whether he expects the rest of NATO to shoulder the burden alone.'
Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump calls on Fed Governor Cook to resign
WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to resign, citing a call by the head of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency urging the Department of Justice to probe Cook over alleged mortgage fraud. Representatives for Cook could not be immediately reached for comment on the allegations posted by FHFA Director Bill Pulte on X earlier on Wednesday.
Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Russia says talks on Ukraine's security without Moscow are a 'road to nowhere'
MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday attempts to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without Moscow's participation were a "road to nowhere", sounding a warning to the West as it scrambles to work out guarantees for Kyiv's future protection. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov particularly criticised the role of European leaders who met U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House on Monday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine that could help to end the three-and-a-half-year-oldwar. Lavrov said Russia was in favour of "truly reliable" guarantees for Ukraine and suggested these could be modelled on a draft accord that was discussed between the warring parties in Istanbul in 2022, in the early weeks of the war. At the time, Kyiv rejected that proposal on the grounds that Moscow would have held effective veto power over any military response to come to its aid. "We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work," Lavrov told a joint news conference after meeting the foreign minister of Jordan. "I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia, it's a road to nowhere." Lavrov's comments highlighted Moscow's demand for Western governments to directly engage with it on questions of security concerning Ukraine and Europe, something it says they have so far refused to do. Moscow this week also restated its categorical rejection of "any scenarios involving the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine". Lavrov accused the European leaders who met Trump and Zelenskiy of carrying out "a fairly aggressive escalation of the situation, rather clumsy and, in general, unethical attempts to change the position of the Trump administration and the president of the United States personally... We did not hear any constructive ideas from the Europeans there". Trump said on Monday the United States would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any deal to end Russia's war there. He subsequently said he had ruled out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine, but the U.S. might provide air support as part of a deal to end the hostilities. Lavrov said the proposals discussed between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022 were a "very good example" of a possible security blueprint, noting that they would also have required Ukraine to become a neutral state and give up its ambition to join NATO. Under the draft discussed then, Ukraine would have received security guarantees from a group of countries including the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France. A partially agreed draft said the guarantor states - including Russia - would respect and observe Ukraine's independence and sovereignty and refrain from the threat or use of force against it. Ukraine wanted the guarantors, if it came under attack, to provide assistance that could include "closing airspace over Ukraine, providing necessary weapons, using armed force in order to restore and subsequently maintain the security of Ukraine as a permanently neutral state". But Russia insisted any decision must be agreed by all guarantor st ates - meaning Moscow would have a veto.
