The White House has brushed off suggestions it has changed its approach to getting peace in Ukraine, while reaffirming Donald Trump’s suggestion that US air support to guarantee its security is an “option”. Follow the latest below and listen to the Trump 100 podcast while you scroll.
Tuesday 19 August 2025 20:00, UK
Security analyst Michael Clarke is back tomorrow afternoon to answer all your Ukraine war questions after a significant flurry of diplomacy in the past week.
Will Donald Trump’s meetings with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy come to anything? Is a ceasefire now a non-starter? Are Moscow’s forces pushing for territorial gains to gain the upper hand in negotiations?
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Promises of security guarantees for Ukraine have been lauded as “game-changing” and “historic” in the hope of bringing an end to the war with Russia.
As all eyes moved from Donald Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska to talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, the White House claimed Russia has agreed to the US providing ‘NATO-style protection’ when the fighting ends.
Although there has been no confirmation from the Kremlin, Ukraine, the UK, and other Western allies say details of a post-war security agreement will be finalised in the coming days.
Below, we look to explain the current situation around those much-debated “security guarantees”…
Extraordinary drone footage has emerged showing repeated strikes on a Russian train carrying fuel.
The attack blew up a train with at least 30 fuel containers, according to the Ukrainian media outlet the Kyiv Post.
Drones initially stopped the locomotive before targeting the fuel tanks, according to reports, with the railway line left blocked by the blasts.
Nine of the fuel cars were torched and the resulting fire was apparently visible on satellite imagery from space.
Watch: Ukrainian drones strike train
The train was targeted between the Russian-occupied city of Tokmak and the village of Urozhaine in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to Ukrainian military bloggers and media reports.
Sky News verified the location of the burning train.
There were differing reports about who precisely was behind the attack – with some saying Ukraine’s military agencies, others crediting local pro-Kyiv rebels and others a combination of the two.
Petro Andriushchenko, a Ukrainian government official reporting on military operations in the Zaporizhzhia region, is quoted by the Kyiv Post as saying of the attack: “The train has derailed and is now being finished off by anything that can fly.
“It’s burning beautifully. The Ukrainian Defence Forces in Zaporizhzhia are once again reducing Russian logistics to zero…and it looks just epic from the ground.”
Russia releases video of bombing
Russia’s defence ministry also released video footage today, showing what it says was a strike on a temporary Ukrainian deployment point in the Donetsk region.
Watch that footage below…
Much of today’s focus has been reaction to yesterday’s meeting in Washington, and on the possibility of security guarantees in Ukraine.
We had a few remarks earlier this afternoon on the topic from Finland’s foreign minister.
Elina Valtonen told reporters the so-called coalition of the willing – a group of nations seeking to support Ukraine’s security – has started work on the country’s security framework.
But no decision has been made yet, she said.
“There have been no decisions thus far as what comes to the overall framework and neither to the individual contributions,” she said.
The coalition has not seen anything from Russia that suggests it is ready for a true peace process, she added.
Finland welcomes the chance of a solution, but “experience has shown it doesn’t happen quickly”.
Sweden, meanwhile, has said it is willing to contribute to Ukraine’s security, but will “come back” on how.
We’ve just finished bringing you the latest from a news briefing in the White House.
Our US correspondent James Matthews was watching along in Washington as well.
Here’s his breakdown and analysis of what was said…
The news briefing in the White House has finished, but here’s another line that emerged from Karoline Leavitt’s conversation with reporters.
The press secretary says that Donald Trump is seeking peace in Ukraine partly “to get to heaven”.
She’s asked about remarks Trump made during his Fox News interview earlier today.
Speaking to the US outlet, Trump said: “If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that’s a pretty… I want to try to get to heaven if possible, I’m hearing that I’m not doing well.
“I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”
Asked about the comments this evening, Leavitt said: “I think the president was serious. I think the president wants to get to heaven, as I hope we all do in this room as well.”
The news briefing in the White House has finished.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was repeatedly pressed on what US contributions to security guarantees could look like.
Earlier today, Donald Trump said it wouldn’t involve boots on the ground.
Leavitt suggested the US could provide air support – “an option and a possibility” – or in the “coordination” of Ukraine’s forces, perhaps suggesting intelligence sharing.
The other main thing the press secretary was asked was about a change in position from Trump.
Initially, the US leader said a trilateral meeting of himself, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin should take place next, but then, after the Putin summit in Alaska, Trump said the Russian and Ukrainian leaders should meet first.
Leavitt brushed off the questions and the suggestion that Trump had been influenced by Putin.
In her ongoing news conference, Karoline Leavitt has been asked about a potential US air presence in Ukraine or protecting the country as a security guarantee.
She says: “It is an option and a possibility.
“I won’t certainly rule out anything as far as military options that the president has at his disposal.”
She adds he’s only “definitively” ruled out US boots on the ground.
Leavitt is asked again on the topic, and she refers the reporter to Donald Trump’s interview with Fox News earlier today (see our 17.30 post for a recap on that).
Some of the questions have moved on to domestic issues.
While we wait to see if anyone asks more about Ukraine, here are the latest pictures from the White House.
Karoline Leavitt is asked about a position shift from Donald Trump.
Ahead of meeting with Vladimir Putin, the US president said a trilateral meeting would be the next step to agree a peace deal.
But afterwards he said it would be a meeting between Russia and Ukraine – followed by a trilateral meeting with Putin, Zelenskyy and himself.
There have been suggestions that Trump was swayed by Putin.
Leavitt says: “The president has spoken to both leaders about this, and both leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down with each other.
“And so our national security team will help both countries do that.
“Ultimately, the president has always said that there are areas of disagreement in this war that will have to be discussed and decided upon by these two countries.
“And so he wants these two countries to engage in direct diplomacy.
“He said that from the very beginning, which is why he’s agreeable to the idea of having President Zelenskyy and President Putin get together, and I understand accommodations for that meeting are under way.”
Asked in a follow up question by a separate journalist whose idea the bilateral was, Leavitt says the idea “evolved” during discussions, without saying who proposed it.
The first question in the news briefing is about the role the US will play in security guarantees.
Donald Trump told Fox News earlier that there would be no US boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Karoline Leavitt repeats this, adding: “But we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies.
“The president understands security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace and he has directed his national security team to coordinate with our friends in Europe, and also to continue to cooperate and discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia as well.”
Leavitt is then asked what Trump has learned from Vladimir Putin, which makes him think he’s willing to commit to a deal.
Leavitt doesn’t give details on what Trump’s learned, but simply says he’s “learned a lot”.
When pushed on this, the press secretary says Moscow’s willingness is down to Russia’s “respect” of Washington’s “might and strength”.
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