US prepared to use air power to support Ukraine

Desmond Milligan · August 20

(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump has signaled the U.S. is prepared to support Ukraine in the air but has completely ruled out a boots-on-the-ground approach.

“We can certainly help in the coordination, and perhaps, provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing Tuesday. “The president understands security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace.”

Leavitt added that Trump has instructed his national security team to coordinate with Europe and also cooperate with and discuss matters with both Ukraine and Russia.

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Peace talks between the two nations are ongoing, with anticipation of a multinational force after Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several other European leaders at the White House on Monday following his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The Trump administration is also still working to set up a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin, but there is no set date for when a meeting would happen or where it would take place.

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is also expected to take part in the virtual meeting of European military leaders later this week. Officials tell NewsNation that they will be coordinating strategy and security guarantees.

Marco Rubio, who is the secretary of state and the acting national security adviser, will also be taking on the role of leading a new working group that will focus on how the security guarantees for Ukraine will work. That group is made up of senior Ukrainian officials and senior European officials, who will work on a proposal to lock in any kind of peace settlement or agreement.

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