President Trump said today that no American ground troops would be deployed to Ukraine as part of the security guarantees that the U.S. and its NATO allies have promised to offer Kyiv.

That leaves open the possibility that European countries could agree, as part of a peace deal with Russia, to deploy troops to Ukraine with the potential backing of U.S. air support. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany met today to discuss their role in a postwar Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials argue that only a binding agreement that would oblige allies to defend the country could deter Russia from invading Ukraine again. But Russia has flatly rejected the idea of an international force deploying to Ukraine, which suggests that the path to a peace deal remains elusive, even after yesterday’s extraordinary White House meeting.

Trump has described a potential meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine as an achievement of the talks, and the White House spokeswoman said that Vladimir Putin had already agreed to it. The Kremlin has played down the idea.

For more: Trump described his motivation for brokering an end to the war in Ukraine: “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible,” he said.

Analysis: Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his European allies have learned how to sway Trump — present a unified front, tug on his heartstrings, and lean heavily into flattery.