Donald Trump rules out sending US troops to Ukraine as its allies consider security guarantees
Monday's White House peace talks have triggered a flurry of further meetings about how to give security guarantees to Ukraine under any prospective deal with Russia.
Leaders from "coalition of the willing" nations — which include Australia — held a virtual meeting and would "prepare for the deployment of a reassurance force if the hostilities ended", the office of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said.
They were also considering further sanctions on Russia, his office said.
NATO military leaders are expected to meet on Wednesday.
Mr Trump was meanwhile asked on Fox News about "assurances" that there "won't be American boots on the ground defending that border".
He said: "Well, you have my assurance, and I'm the president."
But he suggested the US could provide support from the air.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later said that was an "option and a possibility".
"I won't, certainly, rule out anything as far as military options that the president has at his disposal," she said.
US officials were also working to set up a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin "as soon as possible", Ms Leavitt said.
It followed a phone conversation between the US and Russian presidents on Monday, after which Mr Trump said he had begun arranging the meeting.
On Tuesday, he said he told Mr Putin: "We're going to set up a meeting with President Zelenskyy, and you and he will meet, and then after that meeting if everything works out OK, I'll meet and we'll wrap it up."
But Mr Putin is yet to publicly commit to the bilateral meeting, and the Kremlin only said he and Mr Trump discussed "the prospect of exploring opportunities for drawing higher-ranking officials" into direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
Mr Trump told Fox News: "I hope President Putin is going to be good — if he's not, it's going to be a rough situation.
"And I hope that Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy, will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility also."
After the meeting of Ukraine's allies, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia welcomed the "ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and enduring peace, including yesterday's discussions with Washington".
ABC/wires
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