Reuters reported that on January 7, President-elect Donald Trump expressed sympathy with Russia in preventing Ukraine from joining NATO.
Speaking at a press conference in Florida, Mr. Trump explained that having a foreign military presence “right on our doorstep” puts Moscow on high alert, which is understandable.
Mr. Trump continued to share that, before President Vladimir Putin took power, Russia never wanted Ukraine involved in NATO. “This is like engraved in stone,” Mr. Trump said.
Since the 2008 Bucharest Summit, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have expressed support for Ukraine's accession to the bloc. However, Kiev has so far not received an official invitation.
On the Russian side, Mr. Putin has always maintained that in order to end the conflict in Eastern Europe, one of the most important conditions is that Ukraine must remain neutral and not align with any party. This means that Ukraine is not allowed to join NATO.
In 2022, Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul. Preliminary agreements were almost reached, including the demand for neutrality, but they ultimately fell through due to moves by then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Kiev then changed its stance and sought a military confrontation with Moscow with the backing of Western countries.
On January 6, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again emphasized his desire to join NATO. Mr. Zelensky believes that if Kiev does not receive international security guarantees, Moscow will be able to rebuild its forces to launch a new offensive.
According to Reuters, Trump's aides and allies generally oppose Ukraine joining NATO, at least in the near future, because they believe this is an unnecessary provocation for Moscow.
Also on January 7, Mr. Donald Trump called the conflict in Eastern Europe a “disaster” that should never have happened and affirmed that the best time to resolve the knot is now. However, in an interview, Mr. Trump said it may take up to 6 months after taking office to help Moscow and Kiev reach a peace agreement.
Previously, Mr. Donald Trump repeatedly declared that he would end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking over the White House.
