Trump: We will not send troops, but we could provide air support to Ukraine

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump said he has ruled out the possibility of sending American troops to the ground in Ukraine, but that the United States could provide air support as part of an agreement to end Russia's war in that country.

A day after Trump promised security guarantees at an emergency summit at the White House to help end the war, the path to peace remains uncertain as the US and allies prepare to work out what military support for Ukraine might entail.

"When it comes to security, Europe is ready to send people on the ground. We are ready to help them with things, especially, probably, with air," Trump said in an interview with Fox News program "Fox & Friends."

Trump did not provide further details. Later, in an interview with radio host Mark Levin, Trump characterized his negotiating style in trying to end the war as "probably more instinct than process."

A few hours after the meetings in Washington, Russia launched its largest air attack on Ukraine in more than a month, with 270 drones and 10 missiles launched, Ukraine's air force said.

The attacks caused large fires at energy facilities in the central Poltava region, where Ukraine's only oil refinery is located. Trump acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not want to make a deal after all.

"We will find out what's with President Putin in the next few weeks," he said.

The nature of US military aid to Ukraine under a peace agreement remains unclear. Air support could take many forms, such as missile defense systems or fighter jets. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that US air support is "an option and a possibility," but, like Trump, did not provide any details.

"The president has definitely stated that American boots will not step on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help with coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies," she said at a press conference.

Before the summit in Washington, Russia, which often says it agrees with the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv, reiterated its long-standing position that it "categorically" rejects "any scenarios involving the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine." Analysts say more than a million people have been killed or wounded in the conflict, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the talks at the White House as a "big step forward" toward ending the deadliest conflict in Europe in 80 years and working on organizing a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump. His warm relationship with Trump was in stark contrast to their poor meeting in the Oval Office in February.