US will back Ukraine’s security, says Trump

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has not discussed specific security guarantees for Ukraine and reaffirmed the US commitment to support the country.

The potential security guarantees for Ukraine represent a major obstacle to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Trump also said that during his August 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the two leaders discussed limiting the size of their countries’ massive nuclear arsenal once the Ukraine crisis is resolved.

“We would like to denuclearise. It’s too much power, and we talked about that also. That’s part of it, but we have to get the war over with,” Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.

Asked why Putin appears reluctant to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump replied, “Because he doesn’t like him.”

Trump also said on Monday he had talked to Putin since meeting in Washington last week with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders.

Trump was last known to have spoken to Putin on Aug.18, when he interrupted his talks with Zelensky and the Europeans at the White House to call the Russian leader.

“Yes, I have,” Trump told reporters when asked if he had talked to Putin since then.

Asked how the latest talks went, Trump replied: “Every conversation I have with him is a good conversation. And then, unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kyiv or someplace, and I get very angry about it.”

Germany is ready to help Ukraine obtain reliable security guarantees to ensure “lasting peace” once the conflict with Russia ends, Germany’s vice chancellor said Monday on a visit to Kyiv.

Lars Klingbeil also said that Germany, Ukraine’s biggest military backer after the United States, planned to spend nine billion euros ($10.5 billion) supporting Kyiv this year and in 2026.

“As long as this war continues, we will stand by Ukraine’s side, because it is also about our freedom and our security,” said the Social Democrat politician.

Kyiv is working with allies to hash out security guarantees seen as crucial in bringing the more than three-year-old war to an end.

Klingbeil, while noting discussions were in the early stages, stressed that guarantees would have to be reliable to “ensure lasting peace” for Ukraine.

“What is important is that there are security guarantees in the end that ensure Ukraine is no longer attacked,” he said.

Agencies