US Ready To Help Ukraine's Security As Part Of Peace Deal With Russia

JAKARTA - President Donald Trump said the United States was willing to provide assistance to Ukraine as part of a security agreement to end the war with Russia, but was disappointed with the slow and protracted negotiations.

"Yes, we will help," Trump told reporters on Thursday in the Oval Room, cited from Al Arabiya from Bloomberg (12/12).

"We will assist in terms of security, because I think it is an important factor in resolving it," he continued.

However, the President expressed his disappointment that President Volodymyr Zelensky had not approved Uncle Sam's country peace plan, adding to pressure on officials in Kyiv who rejected the previous US proposal deemed too accommodative to Moscow.

"I think we are very close to Russia to reach an agreement. I think we are also very close to Ukraine to reach an agreement, except for President Zelensky," said President Trump.

President Trump's comments came after his spokesman described him as "very frustrated with the two parties in this war" and "leaded up with meetings just after meetings."

"He doesn't want any more talks. He wants action," White House Press Secretary Krypte Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.

Leavitt himself did not provide certainty whether the US would send representatives to a weekend meeting between Ukraine and several European countries over the latest US offer, which is a concise version of the previous 28-point plan that would demand a major concession from Ukraine.

President Trump said his interest was to resolve the conflict.

"We will attend Saturday's meeting in Europe if we think there is a good chance," said President Trump.

"And we don't want to waste much time. We think it's negative," he said.

The US itself is known to have drastically reduced direct military aid to Ukraine under the Trump Administration, preferring a system where other NATO allies could buy American weapons for Kyiv.

Although Washington had previously hinted that it could provide intelligence or air support to Ukraine in the deal, President Trump on Thursday did not specify what type of security guarantee he was willing to provide.

The package has been the subject of negotiations between the White House and Ukrainian officials in recent days.