February 24, 2025

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine in a potential breakthrough that could help end the Kremlin's war against Kyiv.

“He will accept that. I have asked him that question,” Trump said of Putin, when asked directly about the deployment of European troops. “Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for more war ... I’ve specifically asked him that question. He has no problem with it.”

If Trump has interpreted Putin correctly, it would be a major U-turn from the Russians, who have insisted that deploying foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine would represent an escalation.

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