Oval Office – On Friday, President Donald Trump expressed doubts that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky would happen, suggesting that American jets might be necessary to assist Europe in ending the war.
During an hour-long interview in the Oval Office with Daily Caller correspondent Reagan Reese, Trump shared his thoughts on ways to resolve the Russian-Ukraine conflict. He indicated a willingness to provide security assurances that could include American air support. He also addressed critics who believe his actions might diverge from the “America First” agenda.
Here’s an unedited excerpt from the interview transcript.
Reagan Reese: I want to go back to Russia. Are you still considering the use of US troops for security assurances?
Trump: No.
Reese: Airplanes in the air, that is, in the air.
Trump: Perhaps we’ll get involved somehow. I genuinely hope to see some resolution. They’re not our soldiers per se, but thousands are dying—mostly young people—every week. If my involvement could help, such as sending planes occasionally, it would largely be a European operation, but we’d contribute. They appear to need assistance, so if there’s a chance to achieve peace, we’ll be there.
Reese: Some of your supporters believe it’s not our war—
Trump: It isn’t our war—
Reese: They feel Americans shouldn’t be there at all. Are you concerned about how this aligns with your America First agenda?
Trump: Yes, many share that view. We’ve already spent hundreds of billions on this war. However, we’re selling equipment to NATO, which I’ve increased from 2% to 5%. That’s crucial. It’s not that we’re selling to Ukraine directly; they’re paying NATO for it. We’re not footing the bill for a war. That’s a significant distinction. If we can assist without deploying troops directly on the ground, I believe we should. We’re here to help Europe if they need it.
Trump: They truly want to see this resolved. I’m not claiming to start anything; I just want to extinguish this ongoing conflict. I’ve mediated multiple situations before. The challenges here are indeed greater, but I’ve successfully resolved longstanding conflicts before. This war, however, is particularly tough.
Reese: You mentioned a disagreement with Putin back in Alaska, what was that all about?
Trump: Honestly, I don’t recall the specifics. We had a positive relationship in the past, and I really thought there was potential for resolution. Perhaps he needed to push back a bit more. It seems they keep on fighting—maybe it’s stubbornness.
Reese: Do you believe trilateral meetings will still take place?
Trump: A trial might happen, but I’m not sure. Sometimes people aren’t ready. I often liken it to kids in a play area—they tend to clash until they finally settle down. It seems to be rather similar, though many lives have been lost in this conflict.
Earlier in an interview with Fox News on August 19, Trump ruled out American ground troops in Ukraine as part of any security assurance, expressing willingness to have US aircraft involved instead. (Related: The Trump Pentagon reportedly prevented Ukraine from firing deep western missiles at Russia)
Trump pointed out that both Zelensky and Putin would need to agree to meet. Currently, the Russians have shown reluctance for a bilateral meeting and have continued their attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets recently.
