Europe pushes Trump to give security guarantees to Ukraine, he is now less skeptical – Bloomberg

Allies largely agree with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States should contribute troops to future peacekeeping missions in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources.

European allies indicated that Washington might support this idea despite President Donald Trump's initial reluctance. However, detailed discussions about the structure of future peacekeeping forces in Ukraine are premature.

A senior European government official noted that if European allies had to deploy troops independently, it could undermine trust in security guarantees and create a rift in NATO, effectively ending transatlantic cooperation within the Alliance.

Trump's skepticism about supporting Ukraine "may have softened."

According to a high-ranking Western diplomat involved in discussions with the president's team, the Trump administration has shown willingness to focus on providing security guarantees to Ukraine, which they privately acknowledge as inevitable.

In exchange for these commitments, Trump might expect Europe to shoulder more of the burden of implementing any potential agreement.

The same diplomat mentioned that Europeans understand the U.S. expects them to provide the bulk of the troops, and Trump views the Russia-Ukraine war as a "European issue."

On January 21, Trump ordered a 90-day suspension of all U.S. foreign aid, citing conflicts with American values in many cases.

However, on January 23, it was clarified that Ukraine would be exempt from this order, as it only affects development programs, not military support.