Kremlin contradicts Trump's claim on peacekeeping forces in Ukraine

Driving the news: During a White House meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron Monday, Trump told reporters that he had "specifically asked" Russian President Putin about the prospect of deploying European peacekeeping forces to Ukraine following a peace deal.

• "He has no problem with it," Trump said of Putin's acceptance of the proposal.
• When asked about Trump's claim Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referred reporters to an earlier statement on the matter from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Reuters reported.
• Lavrov told reporters last week that the deployment of peacekeeping troops from NATO countries would be unacceptable to Russia, and would be perceived as a "direct threat" to Russian sovereignty.
• Citing Lavrov's previous comment on the issue, Peskov said he had "nothing to add" on the matter, per Reuters.

Zoom out: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked controversy earlier this month by ruling out the possibility of a U.S.-led peacekeeping mission for Ukraine and throwing cold water on the prospect of Ukraine's NATO ascension.

• Instead, the Trump administration has pressed Ukraine to sign a minerals deal in a purported effort to secure a return on the U.S.'s wartime aid to in Ukraine.
• In an interview Monday, Putin said he would be willing to allow the U.S. access to the rare earth minerals in Russian-occupied Ukraine.

Go deeper:

• What to know about Ukraine's rare earth minerals, which the U.S. wants
• Mapped: Control in Ukraine three years on from Russia's invasion