Reuters: US Explores Leadership Role in European-Led Security Measures for Ukraine

By Staff, Agencies

Senior US and European officials have been discussing potential security guarantees for Ukraine, including proposals that Washington could oversee operations without deploying its own ground troops, multiple media outlets report.

According to Reuters, defense chiefs from the US, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Ukraine met in Washington from Tuesday to Thursday to present options to their national security advisers.

A source told the agency that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also participated in a conference call with European counterparts to review the proposals.

While no final decisions have been made, European nations are expected to contribute “the lion’s share” of any forces involved.

One option under consideration is deploying European troops to Ukraine under US command and control.

CNN reported that Washington may play a limited role, including air support with US pilots and continued intelligence and surveillance assistance.

ABC News noted that the discussions are in early stages and could evolve into broader political debates. NATO forces, if eventually deployed, would likely focus on training Ukrainian troops rather than direct combat operations against Russia.

US President Donald Trump has stated that Washington will not send ground forces to Ukraine but has not ruled out certain air support measures.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s strong opposition to any foreign military presence in Ukraine, describing it as “unacceptable” and tantamount to “intervention”.

Lavrov did, however, leave the door open to the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine or Western involvement, emphasizing that any arrangement must respect Russian interests and be “on an equal basis”.