OAN Staff Blake Wolf
9:43 AM – Tuesday, August 19, 2025
President Donald Trump has confirmed that United States soldiers will not be deployed to Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requests international security guarantees as part of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
During a Fox News phone interview on Tuesday, President Trump was asked, “What kind of assurances do you feel like you have that going forward, and past this Trump administration, it won’t be American boots on the ground defending that border?”
“Well, you have my assurance — and I’m president. I’m just trying to stop people from being killed,” Trump responded.
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“We’ve got the European nations, and they’ll front-load it, and they’ll have, some of them … they want to have, you know, boots on the ground,” Trump stated. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired, I think they’re all tired of it. But, you never know.”
President Trump went on to state that he hopes Zelensky “does what he has to do,” in peace negotiations, while noting that he must be “flexible” to secure the elusive agreement to end the war with Moscow.
Trump added that the United States is willing to provide some assistance to Ukraine, such as air support, while reiterating that Ukraine can not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as Russia will not agree to end the war in that scenario.
The interview then shifted to discuss potential land swaps, which Trump suggested are still on the table.
“Ukraine is going to get their life back,” Trump stated. “They’re going to get a lot of land.”
“But this was a war,” he continued. “Russia is a powerful military nation… whether people like it or not.”
President Trump added that Ukraine and NATO allies need to realize that Ukraine’s admission into NATO and the return of Crimea are “impossible” asks, while noting that he is setting up a bilateral meeting with Zelensky and Putin.
“If that works out, then I’ll go to the [trilateral] and close it up,” he stated.
Trump’s comments follow Monday’s White House meeting with Zelensky and European leaders.
The Western leaders convened after President Trump’s meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the two sides attempt to pursue a peace agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s demands for ending the war in Ukraine remain consistent, which include territorial concessions, Ukraine forgoing its pursuit of NATO membership, or any military alliances with the West, Ukraine reducing its military capacity, recognition of annexed territories, and the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
Kyiv’s insistence on Western security guarantees may present a significant roadblock in peace negotiations, as Moscow has maintained its posture that Ukraine will not be allowed to join any military alliances with Western nations.
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