Trump: no US soldiers in Ukraine. But thinks about sending US contractors

"We are witnessing Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and it is very clear that Putin will not stop. That is why it is so crucial and fundamental to remain consistent in our iron support for Ukraine and to take care of our defence build-up". This was said by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen at a press conference with the Estonian Prime Minister, Kristen Michal. "We will continue to provide vital political, economic and military support to our courageous neighbour," the president said.

In the context of the Gymnich informal Foreign Affairs Council in Copenhagen, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas stated that 'the EU supports the peace efforts in Ukraine, but it is clear that Russia is not ready for peace, rather the opposite: it is preparing further for more war'.

Almost confirming the statements of the European leaders is the new, intense attack brought by the Russian forces on Ukraine: 582 drones and missiles on Ukraine, of which Kiev claims to have shot down 548. Acts that seem to contrast with the words of the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who reiterated that the Russian president Vladimir Putin does not rule out a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, but the summit must be well prepared. In turn, the Ukrainian president replied that the two weeks that US President Donald Trump gave the Kremlin leader to show he was really ready to negotiate a peace agreement expire on Monday.

 US President Donald Trump ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine in an interview, but suggested that security guarantees for Kiev could include air patrols by US and European fighter jets. "We won't have troops on the ground or anything else," Trump told the Daily Caller news website. The US president said that without security guarantees 'of some kind' the crisis would not be resolved. The US is ready to provide air aid, but it is mainly the presence of the Europeans that is expected, Trump added. According to the Telegraph, however, Trump is negotiating with European allies to send US private military companies to help secure a potential peace deal in Ukraine. The potential agreement is an attempt to maintain a commitment not to send US military personnel to Ukraine, while acting as a deterrent against potential future Russian aggression. The goal of these US contractors seems to be to help build new defences and protect US business interests in Ukraine, such as those in the mining agreement. The current agreement also provides for the deployment of European soldiers in a buffer zone near the Russian border. Another 30,000 European soldiers could be deployed deeper into Ukraine as an additional deterrent.

According to EU High Representative Kaja Kallas,"Russia's recent attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities represent a deliberate escalation and undermine efforts towards peace". His statement was supported by 26 member states, after Budapest vetoed a joint note. "Russia must stop the killings and demonstrate a sincere will for peace: deliberate attacks against civilians and non-military targets are war crimes," reads the statement, which recalls how the raid damaged the EU delegation buildings in Kiev.