Trump's adviser says Europe should take on Ukraine's security guarantees

Mike Waltz, national security adviser to US President Donald Trump, has stated that Europe should take responsibility for Ukraine’s security guarantees after the war, and that the United States should recover its military aid costs through partnerships on rare earth metals.

Source: Waltz in an interview with NBC News, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "And I think an underlying principle here is that the Europeans have to own this conflict going forward. President Trump is going to end it, and then, in terms of security guarantees, that is squarely going to be with the Europeans."

Details: Waltz did not directly answer a question about whether there had been a phone call between Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, but noted that discussions on the Russo-Ukrainian war will be a key topic for US leadership in Europe next week.

Quote: "We will have our Secretary of State, our Secretary of Defense, our Vice President and our Special Envoy in Europe this week talking through the details of how to end this war."

Details: Waltz added that all parties need to be brought to the negotiating table.

Quote: "Russia’s economy is not doing well. He [Trump – ed.] is prepared to tax, to tariff, to sanction… We need to get all sides to the table to end this war. And this has come up in conversations with President Xi, with Prime Minister Modi, with leaders across the Middle East. Everybody is ready to help President Trump end this war. Let’s get all sides to the table and negotiate." 

Details: Waltz said Trump’s team is prepared to put all these issues on the agenda next week.

Quote: "Including the future of US aid to Ukraine. We need to recoup those costs, and that is going to be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their rare earths, their natural resources, and their oil and gas, and also buying ours." 

Background: 

• Trump said he had spoken by phone with Putin in an attempt to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
• On 5 February, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed for the first time that there has been contact with the Trump administration on Ukraine.

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