Much is being reported in the run-up to Friday’s meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin.

Given that many reports conflict with others, it is hard to sense what actually could or will happen.

However, I set for here POLITICOPRO’s just circulated report that President Trump has said the United States could provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

The article says what it says.  

I note that while I do not believe any peace agreement or ceasefire has any chance of providing lasting peace given President Putin’s consistent strategic objectives, the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation’s Friends of Ukraine Network’s National Security Task Force issued early this year, ENFORCEING A PEACE AGREEMENT OR CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE: Preventing Russia From Resuming Its Aggression Is The Key.

A link to that document follows the POLITICOPRO article.

POLITICOPRO

Trump tells European leaders US could provide security guarantees for Ukraine

Still, any guarantee Trump backs is likely to fall short of what Europe and Ukraine have sought from Washington.

By: Felicia Schwartz, Jacopo Barigazzi, Esther Webber 08/13/2025 06:14 PM EDT

President Donald Trump has told European and Ukrainian leaders that the U.S. is willing to contribute security guarantees for Ukraine — with some conditions, according to three people familiar with the conversation.

The discussion took place as part of a German-arranged virtual meeting Wednesday aimed to coordinate American and European positions before Trump’s Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The three people — a European diplomat, a British official and a person briefed on the call — all said the U.S. was willing to play some sort of role in providing Kyiv with the means to deter future Russian aggression if a ceasefire is reached. The person briefed on the call said that Trump said he would only make such a commitment if the effort is not part of NATO.

Trump’s openness to such guarantees — a key demand for both Ukraine and Europe — help explain the cautious optimism European officials have expressed after the conversation and ahead of Friday’s meeting. Trump did not specify what he meant by security guarantees and only discussed the broader concept, the person briefed on the call said.

Trump recognizes that an American security guarantee must be part of a final settlement and sees the U.S. as playing a role in that, the British official said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s openness to an American role in a security guarantee.

Whatever the security guarantees may be, Trump has made clear that the U.S. will not continue to provide weapons or troops directly to Ukraine, though he will sell weapons to Europe to be used by Kyiv. It also is likely to be limited — and is sure to disappoint Ukraine’s backers who want more robust assurances from the U.S. to deter Russia from invading Ukraine again once the fighting is over.

While European and Ukrainian officials feel that Trump has taken their advice into account and is seeking a ceasefire, they are wary of what will happen when Trump and Putin are alone together.

While Europe has sought to make arrangements for security guarantees without the U.S., such as by standing up a coalition of willing ground forces that could help defend any eventual peace deal, they want American backing for these efforts.

Trump has opposed lethal military assistance for Ukraine for most of his presidency. While the U.S. is not directly sending weapons, he has recently allowed Europe to purchase American weaponry to send to Ukraine – a move his administration says has added pressure to Moscow and convinced Putin to come to the table.

Click here to review the document

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ROBERT MCCONNELL
Co-Founder, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation
Director of External Affairs, Friends of Ukraine Network

The introductory remarks are Mr. McConnell’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation or the Friends of Ukraine Network (FOUN).