President Donald Trump has reportedly privately indicated to European leaders he is open to offering U.S. security guarantees to Ukraine — a significant shift in his stance toward America's role in ending the war.
The change in position came after Trump's high-profile summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Trump sought to push Moscow toward a ceasefire, but according to Trump's own account, Putin told him he would not stop fighting and demanded that Kyiv cede parts of eastern Ukraine in exchange for freezing the front line elsewhere.
In calls with European leaders following the summit, Trump relayed Putin acknowledged any peace deal would have to include the presence of Western troops in Ukraine to ensure its durability, European officials told The Wall Street Journal.
Four European officials confirmed Trump's comments to the paper. It represents a departure from his previous reluctance to commit U.S. backing to Ukraine's long-term security.
Kyiv has long demanded firm U.S. guarantees as protection against future Russian aggression. Trump had resisted, fearing such a step could mire the U.S. in another foreign conflict. But officials said Trump now appears open to a framework where the U.S. could provide bilateral commitments, financial backing, and support for a European-led security force inside Ukraine.
In a joint statement Saturday, the leaders of Germany, France, Britain, Poland, Italy, Finland, and the EU welcomed Trump's apparent readiness to provide guarantees.
"We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," they said, praising Trump's role.
The Kremlin has yet to respond publicly to Trump's reported assurances.
Trump told European leaders he wants a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin as soon as next week to advance the peace process. He is set to meet Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday, with at least one European leader expected to attend.
Despite Trump's vow to secure a ceasefire at the risk of "severe consequences" to Putin and Russia, the Alaska summit produced no ceasefire agreement and Trump has pivoted toward what he described as a "direct path to a peace agreement," aligning with Putin's preference to negotiate final terms rather than interim pauses in fighting.
"It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement," Trump wrote Saturday morning on Truth Social.
Putin, speaking to Russian legislators, said the Alaska talks were "positive" but reiterated Moscow's claim that peace can only come by addressing Ukraine's "drift toward the West" and its NATO ambitions.
The prospect of U.S.-backed security guarantees could give Zelenskyy political cover to compromise in negotiations, should Russia prove willing to engage in genuine peace talks. Trump has said he will consider reimposing sanctions only if the proposed trilateral summit fails to produce progress.
The war in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year, has exacted a heavy toll on both sides. Trump's position signals he might be prepared to take a more direct role in shaping the outcome — even as skepticism remains over whether Putin is negotiating in good faith.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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