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Live from NPR News in Washington on Corva Coleman, defense officials from several countries are meeting at the Pentagon today.

They're discussing how their countries might help Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached with Russia.

France and Britain are prepared to send peacekeepers to Ukraine, but Terry Schultz reports their mission is not yet well defined.

It's not clear whether this mission would be to sort of monitor a ceasefire or

reinforce it or defend certain lines. And those verbs all mean very different things,

carrying different levels of danger for those deployed. In general, European countries are going

to have to send forces, and it seems about 10 of a committed to doing that so far. But some

options are much less palatable than others.

Terry Schultz reporting, President Trump says the U.S. will assist with security guarantees for

Ukraine but won't send U.S. troops there. Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister says any

conversations about security guarantees are pointless if Russia is shut out of the discussion.

Forecasters say Hurricane Aaron continues to swing away from the East Coast. It's not going to make landfall, but Aaron has triggered

life-threatening rip currents from Florida up to New England. Officials in several states have put up

no swimming signs on beaches, but local officials in North Carolina say they've

already rescued dozens of swimmers from danger. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has declared

a state of emergency. From member station WUNC, Bradley George reports some people on the state's

outer banks have been told to evacuate. August is usually a busy time on North Carolina's Outer Banks, but residents and tourists

were ordered to leave Hatteras and Ocarcoke Islands. Governor Stein says people who live

elsewhere on the coast should be prepared to evacuate. Shelters have opened on the mainland.

Aaron would be the worst storm to affect the Outer Banks since 2019.

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