Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump referred to the prospects of a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressing hope that both will show willingness for flexibility in negotiations.

During the interview, Trump revealed that he had spoken by phone with Vladimir Putin the previous day after contacts at the White House. “I hope his behavior will be good,” he said, adding, however, that “if not, then we’ll have a difficult situation… he may not want to reach an agreement.”

🚨CONFIRMED: No American troops are going into Ukraine:

FOX NEWS: "What kind of assurances do you feel like you have that… it won't be American boots on the ground defending that border?"

TRUMP: "You have my assurance."
pic.twitter.com/xYMSKWYffq

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 19, 2025

Referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump noted: “I hope he does what he needs to do,” while stressing that flexibility at the negotiating table is essential. He also emphasized that Ukraine should never have put NATO membership on the table. “Long before Putin, there was a consistent ‘no’ from Russia and the Soviet Union regarding NATO. Russia said it didn’t want an opponent — or enemy, let’s use that word — on its borders. And it was right,” he remarked.

The U.S. president clarified that he does not expect the two leaders to ever become “best friends,” but underlined that “they are the ones who must make the decisions.”

“I set it up, in a way, with Putin and Zelensky, and you know, they are the ones who must decide — we’re 7,000 miles away. I called President Putin and we’re trying to organize a meeting with President Zelensky, and we’ll see what happens there. If all goes well, if we manage it, then I’ll attend the trilateral meeting and close the issue,” Trump stressed, adding that, in his opinion, Putin and Zelensky “are doing a little better than I expected.”

“I think they’re doing a little better than I thought, otherwise I wouldn’t have arranged the bilateral meeting. I would have gone straight to the trilateral. But I think they’re doing somewhat better. There was enormous hostility,” the U.S. president said.

When asked if the U.S. would send troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees, Trump was categorical that this would not happen. “You have my assurance,” he said, adding: “France, Germany, and also Great Britain want, as you know, to have troops on the ground in Ukraine.”

Elsewhere, he remarked that Europeans have realized Ukraine must make concessions to reach peace with Russia and described the return of Crimea as “impossible.”

Trump’s statements come at a critical moment, as efforts intensify toward the possibility of a historic trilateral summit.