World leaders are back to work in their home countries after a day of meetings on a potential end to the war in Ukraine at the White House yesterday.
That includes US President Donald Trump, who today ruled out sending American troops to enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine.
Here are some of the top news headlines from the president today:
- No US troops: Trump said in an interview with Fox News there won’t be American troops on the ground to help enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine. A White House official said specifics of what security guarantees will look like is the subject of ongoing negotiations between the US, European allies and Ukraine.
- Misplaced blame: The president appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war with Russia, saying “you don’t take on a nation that’s 10 times your size” during his interview with Fox News. Russia invaded Ukraine, a sovereign nation, in February of 2022.
- Long-term concerns: Trump said European leaders expressed concerns yesterday about whether US security guarantees in a potential Ukraine peace deal would continue past his presidency. Trump acknowledged efforts to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin will depend upon who is in the Oval Office, according to his Fox News interview.
- Pace of negotiations: In the same interview, Trump said that some European leaders do not have the same sense of urgency regarding ending the Russia-Ukraine war that he does. He pointed to a suggestion from one leader to meet in “another month or two.”
- Relationship with Putin: The US president said he felt there is a “warmth” between him and Putin, which was felt at the summit between the two leaders last week. He also said he didn’t talk to the Russian president in front of European leaders yesterday because he felt it “would be disrespectful” to Putin.
- Zelensky-Putin meeting: Trump said he “sort of” set up a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but “they’re the ones that have to call the shots.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has refused to commit to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. But, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Putin promised Trump he would have a direct meeting with Zelensky.
