US and European military officials have begun planning security guarantees for Ukraine, US sources told Reuters on Tuesday, after President Donald Trump pledged to protect the country as part of a peace deal.
Ukraine and its European allies welcomed Trump’s promise of security guarantees, given at the leaders’ meeting on Monday, but many questions remain.
Officials told Reuters the Pentagon was working to plan what support Washington could provide beyond arms supplies.
They warned that it would take time for the European and American sides to agree on something that would be militarily achievable and acceptable to the Kremlin.
One of the options is to send European forces to Ukraine, but under the command of the US, two sources revealed.
They added that those soldiers would not be under the flag of NATO, but of their own nations.
The White House previously announced that the US would help coordinate security guarantees for Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuses to send forces from NATO countries to ensure a peace agreement.
Trump has publicly ruled out that US troops will go to Ukraine, but on Tuesday he appeared to leave the door open to a different kind of military involvement.
In an interview with Fox News, he suggested that Washington could provide air support.
“In terms of security, the Europeans are willing to send ground forces and we’re willing to help them with things, especially probably from the air because nobody has what we have, they really don’t,” the US president said.
US air support could come in several ways, including anti-aircraft systems and reinforcement of the no-fly zone with the help of US fighter jets.
NATO military leaders will meet virtually on Wednesday, and American military officials will also be at the meeting.
