Joint Chiefs, NATO counterparts to discuss Ukraine security guarantees after Trump suggests US air support
High-level Washington meeting precedes broader NATO Chiefs of Defense session on Wednesday
By Jasmine Baehr , Liz Friden , Jacqui Heinrich Fox News
Published August 19, 2025 9:06pm EDT
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine is hosting his military counterparts from Germany, the U.K., France, Finland and Italy in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday evening, to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent Russian aggression, U.S. officials confirm to Fox News.
The high-level talks come on the eve of a NATO Chiefs of Defense meeting, where all 32 allied military leaders are invited to convene virtually on Wednesday to coordinate next steps. The session will be hosted in Brussels by the chair of NATO’s Military Committee, officials said.
The urgent discussions follow President Donald Trump’s comments on "Fox & Friends" earlier Tuesday, in which he suggested the U.S. could provide air support to Ukraine as part of a security guarantee, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders visited the White House to push peace talks to end the Russian war in Ukraine.
According to a U.S. defense official, Caine is leading Tuesday night’s session in Washington with senior defense leaders from those five key NATO allies.
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), will also attend virtually from Washington, a U.S. military official said.
The defense official added that the current agenda is limited to Tuesday night’s talks and the NATO Chiefs of Defense meeting on Wednesday, but stressed the situation is "rapidly evolving," leaving open the possibility of additional sessions if conditions change.
Wednesday’s NATO meeting will include U.S. participation virtually, with Caine joining alongside his counterparts, while the Military Committee chair leads from Brussels. The broader alliance discussions are expected to build on Tuesday’s smaller Washington gathering among core European allies.
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