Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 30th (local time) that he is discussing with U.S. President Donald Trump a plan for U.S. troops to be stationed in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Zelensky said this in a conversation with reporters via the WhatsApp messenger that day. He emphasized that a U.S. troop presence in Ukraine could greatly enhance the country's security.
Zelensky said, "We are discussing this issue with President Trump and allied leaders," adding, "We want a U.S. troop presence, and it would be a strong position for security guarantees."
The remarks came as U.S.-mediated talks for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine are underway. Zelensky held talks with President Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on the 28th, and is set to meet European leaders in Paris next month for the so-called "coalition of will" talks.
However, the White House has not made an official comment regarding discussions on the possibility of stationing U.S. troops in Ukraine.
Zelensky also said he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in any format. He said, "I told President Trump and European leaders that I am ready to meet Putin in any format," adding, "I am not afraid of any format. What matters is whether Russia is afraid."
Meanwhile, Zelensky strongly denied Russia's claim, raised immediately after his talks with President Trump, of "Ukraine's attempted attack on President Putin's residence." He said it was "a classic Russian lie," calling it "a complete fabrication designed to justify additional attacks on Ukraine."
He added, "This shows on its own that Russia has no will to take the steps needed to end the war."
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that the day after President Trump and Zelensky discussed a plan to end the war, Ukraine tried to attack President Putin's residence in Novgorod Oblast with a drone. But Western countries, including France, countered that Russia is not providing direct evidence for the claim.