Czechia slams US proposal to 'calm' Putin by denying Ukraine NATO membership
Photo: Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský commented on the statement made by Keith Kellogg, the special representative of US President Donald Trump, regarding the US being ready to promise Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine will not join NATO.
"NATO enlargement serves Russia’s security interests. Where Russia borders NATO countries, there is no war. In other regions, there is," the Czech minister stated.
What Kellogg said
Keith Kellogg, the special representative of the US President for Ukraine and Russia, stated that the US acknowledges Russia’s right to be concerned about the possible eastward expansion of NATO and is ready to discuss this issue in the context of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
According to him, Trump is prepared to give Putin written assurances that the Alliance will not expand eastward, if this becomes a key condition for halting hostilities and ending the war in Ukraine.
"Like we've said that to us, Ukraine coming into NATO is not on the table. And we're not the only country that says that. You know, I can probably give you four of the countries in NATO. And it takes 32 of the 32 to allow you to come into NATO. And we've seen other countries say, 'We're not too sure about that,'" Kellogg said.
Putin opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership
One of Putin’s key demands for ending the war is a written commitment from the West to halt further NATO expansion to the east. As reported by Reuters, this would effectively exclude Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and other post-Soviet countries from potential NATO membership. The Kremlin is also insisting on Ukraine’s neutral status and the "protection of the Russian-speaking population."
Meanwhile, NATO periodically reaffirms its support for Ukraine’s future membership in the Alliance, though without providing a clear timeline. Notably, the joint communiqué from the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024 declared Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance as "irreversible."
In contrast, Trump, after taking office, has repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s membership in the bloc is unlikely. At the same time, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Ukraine’s membership in NATO "unrealistic."
