During a pivotal meeting at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “keep his word” on a peace agreement for Ukraine. Trump suggested that American workers extracting critical minerals in Ukraine would serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.

Speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office, Trump maintained that Putin could be trusted not to violate any accord that aimed to restore as much Ukrainian territory as possible following the three-year-long war. However, despite addressing reporters’ questions, he declined to commit U.S. troops to a European-led peacekeeping mission, though he assured that America would “always” support Britain’s military if the need arose, The Guardian reports.

Trump also hinted at potential U.S.-UK trade deals, suggesting they could advance “very quickly.” He noted that Starmer had lobbied against imposing tariffs, jokingly remarking, “He earned whatever the hell they pay him over there.”

Another notable moment came when Trump signaled a willingness to endorse an agreement on the Chagos Islands, saying he was “inclined” to back the deal negotiated by Starmer. During the discussions, the UK prime minister also delivered a letter from King Charles, inviting Trump for an unprecedented second state visit.

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set to arrive in Washington within 24 hours to formalize a critical minerals agreement, Starmer used the opportunity to push for security assurances for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal.

Following the meeting, Starmer stated, “We’ve discussed a plan today to reach a peace that is tough and fair. That Ukraine will help shape. That’s backed by strength to stop Putin coming back for more. I’m working closely with other European leaders on this, and I’m clear that the UK is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal. Working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last.”

Emphasizing the importance of long-term stability, Starmer insisted that security guarantees were crucial for any lasting agreement. However, Trump downplayed concerns, asserting that maintaining peace would be “the easy part,” while negotiating the deal itself was the real challenge.

Though he refrained from making firm security commitments, Trump suggested that American investments in Ukraine’s rare earth industry would be a sufficient deterrent against further Russian incursions. “We’ll be working there. We’ll have a lot of people working and so, in that sense, it’s very good. It’s a backstop, you could say. I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there with a lot of workers and having to do with rare earths and other things which we need for our country.”

When asked whether returning territory captured by Russia could be part of a potential Ukraine peace agreement, Donald Trump responded, “We will certainly try and get as much as we can back.”

The U.S. president pushed back against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s assertion that a lack of U.S. military presence would encourage Russia to invade again. “I don’t think so. I think when we have a deal, it’s going to be the deal,” he stated. “I think he’ll keep his word. I’ve known him for a long time now, and I think he will. I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word. I don’t think he’ll be back when we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold now.”