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Former US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media in the spin room following the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Sept. 10, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 24 that Russia's war against Ukraine could end "within weeks" and claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin would allow European peacekeepers to be stationed in Ukraine as part of a potential agreement.

"I think we could end it within weeks. If we're smart. If we're not smart, it'll keep going, and we'll keep losing young, beautiful people that shouldn't be dying," he said, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House.

Trump claimed the U.S. supported sending European troops to monitor a ceasefire and that he had discussed the proposal with Putin, who "would accept it."

When asked whether Ukraine should be willing to cede territory to Russia as part of a negotiated settlement, Trump responded, "We'll see," noting that talks are still in the early stages.

Macron said Europe is prepared to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, including peacekeepers, in case of a ceasefire.

American and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 without Ukrainian or European participation, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for Feb. 25.

Macron has recently rallied European counterparts to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit Washington later this week to meet with Trump.

The U.K. is reportedly preparing to propose a plan to deploy 30,000 European peacekeepers to Ukraine as a post-ceasefire security guarantee. Macron has also led calls for a European-led mission to ensure stability in Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants Europe to take over responsibility for funding and overseeing Ukraine's security.

His administration has also pressured Kyiv to sign a minerals deal with the U.S., which President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized for offering no security guarantees in return.

Trump’s Ukraine rare earths deal: ‘The art of the steal’
Among the bombshells coming out of the Trump administration in its first month in office is the president’s demand that Ukraine pledge $500 billion worth of mineral resources to the United States in return for American support. U.S. President Donald Trump appears to see this as payback for

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11:51 PM

Trump 'very surprised, disappointed' at Russian attacks on Ukraine amid peace talks.

"I've gotten to see things I was very surprised at. Rockets being shot into cities like Kyiv during a negotiation that was maybe very close to ending," Trump said during a news conference in the Oval Office. "All of a sudden rockets got shot into a couple of cities and people died. I saw thing I was surprised at and I don't like being surprised, so I'm very disappointed in that way."
5:10 PM

All territory will revert to Ukraine, predicts US diplomat.

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sits down with Michael Carpenter, former U.S. Ambassador to OSCE and senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, to discuss the current lagging U.S. military support for Ukraine amid the ongoing ceasefire talks with Russia. Carpenter also offers his predictions for the future of Ukraine’s occupied territories.
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