President Donald Trump issued a public assurance that no American troops will be deployed to defend Ukrainian territory as part of the cease-fire deal that’s currently being negotiated between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.
During a call-in interview on Fox and Friends Tuesday morning, Trump was asked what assurances he could provide that Americans will not be tasked with defending the border between Russia and Ukraine.
“Well, you have my assurance,” Trump replied. “I’m president and I’m just trying to stop people from being killed.”
The president went on to suggest that U.S. aid for Ukraine will consist primarily of military hardware, with the Europeans providing manpower.
“We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you could talk about by air, because nobody has the kind of stuff we have,” he said.
Fox: “What kind of assurances do you have that going forward there won't be boots on the ground in Ukraine?"
Trump: "Well you have my assurance. You know, I'm president."
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) August 19, 2025
The clarification comes after Trump announced Monday evening on Truth Social that he and President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed “security guarantees” for Ukraine that will have to be part of any cease-fire deal. Trump suggested in the social media post that European partners would be primarily responsible for securing the Ukrainian border, while the U.S. would maintain a “coordination” role.
“During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America. Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump said.
Zelensky, for his part, appears hopeful that the U.S. will commit troops to defend his country as part of the cease-fire deal. Asked by a reporter ahead of the Oval Office meeting on Monday what form U.S. aid should take, be it troops, intelligence, or equipment, Zelensky responded, “everything.”
During their Monday meeting, Zelensky and Trump discussed an arms deal between the two countries, with Zelensky proposing the purchase of $90 billion in American weapons.
Zelensky said that he expects the details of the security guarantees to be finalized within ten days, though it remains to be seen whether Russia will accede to the framework developed by Trump, Zelensky, and European leaders on Monday.
Following the talk with Zelensky on Monday, and the summit in Anchorage with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Trump hopes to plan a trilateral meeting between the three countries in the coming weeks.