Trump directs national security team to develop Ukraine security guarantees

The White House announced Tuesday that US President Donald Trump has tasked his national security team with developing a formal framework for security guarantees intended to support peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump has ruled out sending US ground troops to Ukraine."The president has definitively stated US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine," Leavitt said. "But we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies."She added that Trump has "directed his national security team to coordinate with our friends in Europe, and also to continue to cooperate and discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia as well."Leavitt also noted that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have expressed a willingness to meet, and that preparations for a direct dialogue are underway.