The United States will play a minimal role in security guarantees for Ukraine in any deal with Russia, a move that would tap Europe to shoulder the burden of ensuring peace, Politico reported Wednesday.
NATO and European leaders told Politico that this was the vision laid out by Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby in a meeting of allies Tuesday night. The huddle, led by the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, included defense chiefs from the U.K., France, Germany, and Finland, according to the report.
"There's the dawning reality that this will be Europe making this happen on the ground," a NATO diplomat told Politico. "The U.S. is not fully committed to anything."
Tuesday's meeting with Colby and Caine, along with another NATO leader, came in the aftermath of President Donald Trump's meeting Monday with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the long-term future of Ukraine after the end of the war with Russia.
Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending U.S. troops in any peacekeeping deal to Ukraine but suggested air support instead.
"I don't know where that leaves us," a European official told Politico. "Pretty much back to where we were in the spring with the 'coalition of the willing'."
Newsmax reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte briefed 32 NATO members Wednesday in Brussels to talk broad security guarantees in parallel with Trump's efforts to arrange a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, according to the report.
Trump has floated Budapest as a possible meeting place.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.