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During these meetings, Trump discussed the recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska aimed at ending the war. Trump mentioned that while European allies were willing to send troops to Ukraine as part of a security guarantee, the U.S. would support them primarily through air assistance due to the superiority of American weapons. He emphasized that any security arrangement “can’t be NATO,” referring to Ukraine’s aspirations to join the alliance.
In another interview, French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted two key issues: the future ownership of territory and ensuring Ukraine’s security against potential future aggression from Russia. He warned that the credibility of the U.S., NATO, and Europe is at stake in how they handle this situation.
Russia claims it invaded Ukraine due to Kyiv’s desire to join NATO and its attempts to erase Russian culture within Ukraine. In contrast, Ukraine accuses Russia of an imperial war of conquest seeking to control Kyiv while erasing Ukrainian sovereignty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that after the Alaska meeting, Trump began approaching this crisis more deeply, understanding the need to address root causes, particularly related to Russia’s security concerns stemming from NATO’s eastward expansion. Trump is arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelensky before August ends, with a possible trilateral meeting involving him as well.
This update was last revised on 8/19/25 at 10:22 a.m. ET.
