The United States and NATO military planners have begun drafting alternative security guarantees for Ukraine in the aftermath of its war with Russia, U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday. The effort has gained momentum following President Donald Trump’s recent commitments, Reuters reported.
At a high-level summit on Monday, Trump pledged to provide Ukraine with long-term security assurances, though many details remain unresolved.
According to Pentagon sources, several post-war scenarios are under review. Among the options is a proposal to deploy European troops to Ukraine, with the United States overseeing their command-and-control systems. These forces, however, would serve under their own national flags rather than under NATO.
The White House has indicated that Washington could act as a coordinator for broader security guarantees. Moscow, meanwhile, has categorically rejected the prospect of NATO-country troops being stationed in Ukraine.
Although Trump has ruled out sending U.S. ground troops, he hinted in a Fox News interview on Tuesday at possible American air support. “Europeans are willing to send troops on the ground, and we can provide support from the air. No one else has the capability we do,” he said.
Potential U.S. measures could include supplying Ukraine with additional air defense systems or enforcing a “no-fly zone” using American fighter jets. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Washington has delivered billions of dollars in weapons and ammunition to Kyiv. Deliveries were briefly paused after Trump–Zelensky meetings in February and July this year, before later resuming.
NATO’s military chiefs are set to meet virtually on Wednesday to assess the situation in Ukraine and discuss next steps. U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grinkevich is expected to brief allied commanders on the recent Trump–Vladimir Putin summit in Alaska.
