Trump supports European troops stationed in Ukraine

 Direct translation

Trump supports European troops stationed in Ukraine, may meet with Putin at the end of the month

Reporter : Xia Yu / https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/25/2/18/n14440308.htm / Image : U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he signs an executive order at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, February 18, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP)

On Tuesday (18 February 2025), U.S. President Trump said at Mar-a-Lago in Florida that he would not oppose the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. He also said he might meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of the month.

On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order at Mar-a-Lago. When asked by reporters whether he supported the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, he said he would "not object at all."

"If they want to do it, that's great. I'm all for it. If they want to do it, I think that's great," he said. Trump also mentioned that France and Britain have expressed their willingness to do so.

Trump suggested the United States would not be involved in the peacekeeping force "because we are far away."

The president went on to say, "No one has asked me" to withdraw all U.S. troops from Europe in the event of a peace deal, "so I don't think we have to do that."

He continued: "I didn't want to do that. The question never really came up."

Trump also said he would "probably" meet with Putin before the end of the month. When asked if there was a specific date, the president did not respond. Including today, there are 11 days left in February.

Trump and Putin spoke by phone for 90 minutes last week, during which time he said his meeting with Putin might take place in Saudi Arabia.

Trump: U.S.-Russia talks went very well

The U.S. and Russian teams held highly anticipated talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The US State Department said after the meeting that the talks were "an important step forward." Russian negotiators said discussions with the United States on Ukraine were positive.

Trump described the talks between the United States and Russian officials as "very good." "Both Russia and Ukraine have lost tens of thousands of soldiers, many have been killed," he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after talks with Russian representatives that after more than four hours of talks in Saudi Arabia, the United States and Russia agreed on four principles, including the appointment of a senior team to help "negotiate and work to end the conflict in Ukraine in a way that is acceptable to all parties involved."

"I think I have the ability to end this war. I think it's going very well," Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago.

He also expressed greater openness to pushing for new elections in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy is unhappy about not being invited to participate in the US-Russia talks, Trump responds

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the U.S.-Russia talks, said on Tuesday that Ukraine would not "succumb to Russia's ultimatum." He also said earlier that he would refuse to sign any agreement without Ukrainian representatives participating in the negotiations.

“But I heard some people today say, ‘Oh, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago. “You should have ended this in three years.”

"I think they've got to make peace," Trump said last week. "Their people are being killed, and I think they've got to make peace. I say this is not a good war, and I think they've got to make peace. That's what I think."