By Ginika Igboke
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that discussions with Washington have included the possibility of a U.S. troop presence in Ukraine as part of broader security guarantees.
The remarks came two days after Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, where the two discussed a proposed 20-point peace plan to end the war with Russia. The plan reportedly includes a U.S. security guarantee initially set at 15 years. Zelenskyy’s comments also followed reports of an alleged drone attack on a residence linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a Dec. 30 message to media outlets, Zelenskyy said a U.S. military presence would be a key component of any meaningful security guarantee for Kyiv.
“Of course, we are discussing this with President Trump and with representatives of the coalition. We want this. We would like this. This would be a strong position of the security guarantees,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in any format, despite deep mistrust between the two sides.
“I told President Trump, European leaders, I am ready for any format of meeting with Putin. I am not afraid of any format. … The main thing is for Russians not to be afraid,” he said.
The White House did not issue an official statement Tuesday regarding the possibility of deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said he remains committed to negotiations to end the war and expressed a preference for a longer-term U.S. security guarantee—potentially lasting 50 years—to deter future Russian aggression. He said Trump is considering guarantees ranging from 30 to 50 years, though the current proposal stands at 15 years.
After meeting with Zelenskyy on Sunday, Trump said the two sides may be “very close” to an agreement to end the conflict, though he noted that unresolved territorial disputes remain. He also said European countries are expected to take on a larger role in negotiations, with support from the United States.
Meanwhile, Russia said Tuesday that its negotiating position would harden following allegations that Ukraine carried out a large-scale drone attack on a residence associated with Putin. Russian officials claimed all 91 drones involved were intercepted.
Ukrainian officials dismissed the accusations as unfounded and said they were intended to derail ongoing peace talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the alleged incident as “state terrorism,” saying Moscow has identified potential targets for retaliation, but added that Russia would not withdraw from peace negotiations.
Zelenskyy said he raised the reported drone attack during discussions with Trump. Asked by reporters whether there was evidence supporting the claim, Trump responded, “We’ll find out.”
Polish President Donald Tusk said Tuesday that a peace agreement could be achieved with the backing of U.S. security guarantees. He also referenced the possibility of American troops being deployed along the line of contact between Russia and Ukraine, while cautioning that an end to the fighting remains uncertain.
As diplomatic efforts continued, Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched additional drone attacks Tuesday targeting Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian vessels.
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