Donald Trump has stirred the diplomatic pot again, declaring that Britain will be sending troops to Ukraine, while reassuring Americans they won’t be going anywhere.
In a wide-ranging Fox News interview, the US President made it crystal clear: Ukraine will not join NATO. Yet, he insisted European nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, are ready to put “boots on the ground” to deter Russia from any further aggression.
“(Ukraine) is not going to be a part of NATO but we’ve got the European nations… they’ll front-load it and they’ll have, some of them, France and Germany, a couple of them, the UK, they are going to have boots on the ground,” Trump said.
He downplayed the risk of escalation, claiming he believed Vladimir Putin was “tired of it”, though he conceded a peace deal may not be possible. “It’s possible he doesn’t want to make a deal,” Trump added.
The comments mark a sharp pivot from just a day earlier, when Trump, in front of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, hinted US forces could eventually be deployed. Asked directly if American troops would join a security guarantee for Ukraine, he firmly denied it.
“You have my assurance, and I am president,” he stated. Instead, he shifted the responsibility for Ukraine’s defence onto European allies, a move likely aimed at calming domestic concerns over US involvement.
Trump also suggested that discussions in Washington with European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, had centred on preparing Europe for a different approach once his tenure ends.
“We talked about it… suppose you got a terrible leader in the UK or France, or… Ursula… She’s in charge of the Commission. She’s the boss. She was there too,” he said.
On the economic front, Trump painted a rosy picture, claiming his guests had praised America’s turnaround: “Our country has gone from a dead country one year ago. We’re the hottest country in the world, and every one of those people said it yesterday.”
Meanwhile, anxiety continues to simmer in European capitals over Washington’s reliability as an ally. NATO members have increased defence spending and pledged long-term support for Kyiv, but Trump’s insistence that Ukraine will not join the alliance, paired with European troop deployments, highlights the delicate balancing act between deterrence and escalation.
Critics warn that such rhetoric could embolden the Kremlin while unsettling Western partners. Trump’s statements have once again thrown established alliance policy into a degree of confusion.
Back in London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised the ongoing international effort to bolster Ukraine’s security. He led a meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’, where leaders discussed sanctions against Russia and preparations for a reassurance force if hostilities end.
A No10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister co-chaired a virtual meeting of the Coalition of the Willing this morning with over 30 international leaders… planning teams would meet with their US counterparts in the coming days to further strengthen plans to deliver robust security guarantees and prepare for the deployment of a reassurance force if the hostilities ended.”
Starmer stressed the focus remained on unity and achieving a “just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” while ensuring pressure on Putin continues until he takes serious action to end his illegal invasion.
