Trump-Zelensky meeting live: US says no troops on the ground in Ukraine, but doesn’t rule out air patrols

Trump says there will be no US troops in Ukraine as part of peace deal

President Donald Trump said he is considering sending air support to Ukraine as part of security guarantees for the nation.

The U.S. will not send troops as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, but Trump told Fox News that his administration could assist in other ways, including with air support. This comes after Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders in the White House to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said that air support is “an option and a possibility.”

While Trump has ruled out sending troops, the UK is preparing to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a “reassurance force” if a peace deal with Russia is reached. Trump is now arranging for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky.

“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The U.S. leader also blamed Ukraine for “taking on a nation that’s 10 times your size” on Tuesday, despite Russia enacting the full-scale invasion.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 17:09

White House considers trilateral meeting in Budapest: report

The White House is planning for a potential trilateral meeting in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, according to Politico.

The trilateral meeting would involve President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to provide any details about a venue for the meeting during a briefing on Tuesday.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 19:11

White House confirms Putin promised to have direct meeting with Zelensky

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to have a direct meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“He has, and I just answered that question for you,” Leavitt responded.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 19:04

White House says U.S. air support in Ukraine ‘an option and a possibility’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. air support in Ukraine is “an option and a possibility.”

This comes after President Donald Trump said he won’t send U.S. troops to Ukraine, but that his administration could help provide security guarantees in other ways, including with air support.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 18:58

White House addresses reports that Trump called Putin during European leaders meeting

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed reports that President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin while European leaders were gathered at the White House.

A reporter asked Leavitt why Trump took that call when the European leaders weren’t in the room.

“So these leaders, who, this war is in their backyard, are very grateful that the president took that call and that he was there to provide them with a readout of Russia’s thinking on this, something that was not done by the previous administration at all,” Leavitt responded.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 18:39

Trump wants Russia and Ukraine to engage in ‘direct diplomacy’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump wants Russia and Ukraine to engage in “direct diplomacy.”

This comes after Trump said he is arranging a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. After that meeting, Trump hopes to have a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin and Zelensky.

Leavitt’s remarks came after a reporter asked: “Can you explain how this went from a trilateral meeting involving President Trump to now the focus being on this bilateral meeting without the president first?”

“The president has spoken to both leaders about this, and both leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down with each other, and so our national security team will help both countries do that,” Leavitt responded.

“Ultimately, the president has always said that there are areas of disagreement in this war that will have to be discussed and decided upon by these two countries, and so he wants these two countries to engage in direct diplomacy,” she added.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 18:31

Watch: Trump blames Ukraine for ‘taking on nation that’s 10 times your size’ despite Russia being the one that invaded

Trump blames Ukraine for ‘taking on nation that’s 10 times your size’ despite Russia being the one that invaded

Bryony Gooch19 August 2025 18:30

White House reaffirms U.S. troops won’t go to Ukraine

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has reaffirmed that U.S. troops won’t be sent to Ukraine to enforce any potential peace deal with Russia.

However, the U.S. could be involved in other security guarantees, she said.

“The President has definitively stated U.S. boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies,” Leavitt said.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 18:27

See it: Trump holds golf club gifted to him by Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gifted President Donald Trump a golf club during their White House meeting on Monday.

The golf club was originally given to Zelensky by Kostiantyn Kartavtsev, a junior sergeant in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kartavtsev lost his leg in the early months of Russia’s invasion, and golf was a part of his “rehabilitation,” according to a statement from Zelensky’s office.

The sport “helped him regain balance — both physical and emotional,” the release said.

President Donald Trump holds a golf club gifted to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
President Donald Trump holds a golf club gifted to him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (AFP/Getty)

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 18:06

Watch live: White House holds media briefing after Putin and Zelensky meetings

The White House is holding a briefing after President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several key European leaders met in the White House.

Katie Hawkinson19 August 2025 17:58

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1 | Jiang, Minjuan 蒋敏娟 (2023). “组建中央社会工作部与社会治理现代化” (Establishment of the Central Social Work Department and Modernization of Social Governance). People’s Forum 7, 49–52. https://archive. is/HmG42. Accessed: 30.04.2025.; The Paper (2023). “组建中央社会工作部,有何深意?” (What is the significance of establishing the Central Social Work Department?). April 25. https://archive.ph/q3MPJ. Accessed: 30.04.2025. 2 | Qiushi求是网 (2025). “读懂‘社会工作一定要加强’的深意” (Understanding the profound