The top Pentagon policy official, Elbridge Colby, told a small group of allies on Tuesday evening that the U.S. plans to play a minimal role in any security guarantees for Ukraine—one of the clearest signs yet that Europe will have to bear the main burden of maintaining lasting peace in Kyiv.
Colby, the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, made the comments in response to questions from European military leaders during a meeting led by U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, reports Politico.
Defense chiefs from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Finland pressed the U.S. side to clarify what troops and air assets it would offer to help Ukraine maintain a peace agreement with Russia, according to a European official and another individual familiar with the discussions.
The meeting, along with a hastily organized follow-up with NATO leaders on Wednesday, left allies increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump would rely on Europe to secure a long-term peace once Russia completes its invasion, according to six American and European officials.
“There is the reality that Europe will be the one making this happen on the ground,” said a NATO diplomat familiar with the talks. “The U.S. is not fully committed to anything.”
The meetings—held days after Trump and European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House as a show of unity—highlight the heavy responsibility facing allies as they weigh plans to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine and purchase more U.S.-made weapons for Kyiv.
On Monday, Trump said he was ready to send American troops to Ukraine. However, he backtracked on Tuesday, suggesting instead that he was open to providing air support for European forces there.
“I don’t know where this leaves us,” said one European official. “Almost back to where we were in the spring with the coalition of volunteers.”
Colby has conducted a review of U.S. ammunition reserves this year, which led Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in July to temporarily raise U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
He has long pushed European allies to do more to defend the continent against Russia. His presence in the talks could signal a tougher road for Europe to secure American support for Ukraine’s security.
