The US Will Not Deploy Ground Troops But May Be Air Support For Ukraine Peace Deal

President Trump's meeting with President Zelensky and European Leaders. (Twitter/@WhiteHouse)

JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was putting aside the possibility of placing US troops in Ukraine, but might provide air support as part of an agreement to end Russia's war in the country.

The day after President Trump promised security guarantees to help end the war at an extraordinary summit at the White House, the path to peace remains uncertain as the US and its allies prepare to work out what military support might include for Ukraine.

"In terms of security, (Europe) is willing to put troops on the ground. We are willing to assist them in various ways, especially, perhaps, by air," President Trump said in an interview with Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program.

After Monday's meeting, Russia launched its biggest airstrike in more than a month in Ukraine. President Trump later said Russian President Vladimir Putin may not want to make a deal.

"We will find out about President Putin in the next few weeks," he said.

The nature of US military assistance to Ukraine is still unclear. Air support can be in the form of various forms, such as missile defense systems or fighter jets enforcing the no-fly zone.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Krypt Leavitt confirmed the US air support was "an option and possibility," but, like President Trump, he did not provide any details.

"The president has expressly stated that US troops will not be on land in Ukraine, but we can certainly assist in coordination and possibly provide other security guarantees to our European allies," he told a news conference.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the White House negotiations as "a major step forward" to end Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years and prepare for a trilateral meeting with President Putin and President Trump. President Zelensky's warm relationship with President Trump is in stark contrast to their meeting which ended badly in the Oval Room in February.

Separately, President Trump discussed Budapest as a summit involving President Zelensky and President Putin in a phone call with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, a White House official said.

Istanbul, where the Russian and Ukrainian delegations had met earlier, has also been mentioned, a senior government official said.

Hungary is one of the few places in Europe President Putin can visit without fear of being arrested on charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC), as PM Orban maintains close ties with the Russian leader. It is not yet clear whether Ukraine will accept Hungary as a meeting place.

In addition, neutral Switzerland also said it would be ready to host President Putin for any peace negotiations, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on Tuesday.

Switzerland is the signing of the ICC, but Foreign Minister Cassis told Swiss national broadcaster SRF that if President Putin came for peace purposes, Switzerland could accept it.

"This is related to our diplomatic role, with Geneva as the headquarters of the United Nations (Europe)," said Foreign Minister Cassis.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was present at President Trump's meeting with President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House, proposed Geneva as a potential location for Ukraine's peace negotiations between President Putin and President Zelensky.

It is known that the ICC issued its warrant in 2023, more than a year after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, accusing President Putin of war crimes by deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Russia denies allegations of war crimes and the Kremlin, which did not sign the ICC's founding agreement, has rejected the warrant as null and void.