Washington — The White House confirmed Tuesday that President Donald Trump has “definitively ruled out” sending American ground troops to Ukraine, even as his administration weighs other potential military measures to support a peace deal with Russia.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while boots on the ground are “off the table,” the president has not dismissed other options, including possible air operations. “It is an option and a possibility,” Leavitt said. “I won’t rule out anything as far as military options at the president’s disposal. But he has definitively ruled out boots on the ground.”
Trump himself has reiterated that assurance, promising not to deploy U.S. forces inside Ukraine to enforce any eventual settlement. Instead, he has directed his national security team to work with European partners and continue consultations with both Kyiv and Moscow on alternative security guarantees.
“The president understands that security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace,” Leavitt said, stressing that Washington could “help in coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies.”
Plans for a direct bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are “underway,” Leavitt confirmed, though no location has been finalized. She emphasized that both leaders have expressed willingness to sit down face-to-face, with the U.S. encouraging them to take that step without insisting on a U.S. presence.
“Ultimately, there are areas of disagreement that only these two countries can resolve,” Leavitt said. “The president wants them to engage in direct diplomacy.”
The remarks underscore Trump’s effort to balance his pledge to avoid deeper U.S. entanglement in the war with a show of American influence in shaping peace talks.
