United States Vice President JD Vance suggested that troops from India or Saudi Arabia could be deployed as peacekeepers in Ukraine during a White House discussion on American strategy for the Ukraine war. The proposal was made early in the second Trump presidency, according to a newly published book by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The meeting took place in the Oval Office ten days after the inauguration, with President Donald Trump and his top advisers present.
As reported by Hindustan Times, the discussion was based on a proposal titled “An America First Plan: Trump’s Historic Peace Deal for Russia-Ukraine War,” presented by retired Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, who was appointed as special presidential envoy for Ukraine and Russia. The plan included a significant concession that Ukraine would not attempt to recapture already-lost territory by force, prompting the group to consider the deployment of non-NATO peacekeepers.
During the meeting, JD Vance asked whether troops from other countries could serve as peacekeepers, specifically suggesting “Saudi Arabia or India.” The book notes that Donald Trump responded with skepticism, stating, “The Indians won’t do that. They won’t pay for something like that.” Trump further commented that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a good relationship with him and wanted to visit, but added, “the Indians do not ever pay for anything.”
Further coverage revealed that the Trump administration’s approach did not involve formal recognition of Russia’s claims over occupied Ukrainian territory. Instead, the strategy focused on limiting Ukraine’s military actions to avoid escalation, while considering international peacekeeping forces from outside NATO.
“Are there troops from other countries that could serve this purpose,” the book quotes the Vice President as asking, before suggesting “Saudi Arabia or India.”
The book also documents Trump’s remarks about India in other contexts, including trade and tariffs. In a separate meeting with technology executives, Trump claimed that India imposed duties of 175 per cent on American goods, reiterating his administration’s concerns about trade imbalances. These comments were made in the presence of US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and several major technology company leaders, as reporting indicated.
Trump’s remarks on India’s willingness to participate in international peacekeeping or to bear associated costs were consistent with his broader views on allied contributions and financial commitments. The suggestion of Indian and Saudi troops for Ukraine peacekeeping did not result in any formal proposal or subsequent diplomatic engagement, as details emerged from the book’s account of internal White House deliberations.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.