President Donald Trump has told European leaders he is prepared to consider U.S. participation in security guarantees for Ukraine, marking a notable shift from his earlier reluctance to commit American forces to Kyiv’s defence. European officials cited by the Wall Street Journal said Trump discussed a NATO-style collective-defence arrangement for Ukraine during calls on 16 August, one day after his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The proposal, described as equivalent to NATO’s Article 5 but outside the Alliance’s formal structure, would be offered jointly with European allies. Trump publicly acknowledged the talks on 15 August, telling reporters there was “a possibility” the United States could back such guarantees “along with Europe and other countries,” though “not in the form of NATO.” Kyiv has long demanded binding assurances to deter future Russian attacks as a condition for any peace agreement. According to the officials, Trump also relayed that Putin accepted the principle that Western troops might be deployed in Ukraine to uphold a potential settlement, although no cease-fire or detailed framework has been reached. Negotiations remain preliminary and would require further agreement from both Congress and allied governments.