Trump tells Ukraine to forget about joining NATO
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Ukraine should forget about joining NATO. The country’s desire to become a member of the Alliance was likely the reason Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to start the war, said US President Donald Trump, according to Sky News and CNN.
"You can forget about it. That's probably the reason the whole thing started," Trump said.
When asked by a journalist what it's like to negotiate with Putin, the US President said, "He's a very smart guy, he's a very cunning person."
"I've dealt with some really bad people but I will tell you as far as this is concerned, he had no intention, in my opinion, of settling this war. I think he wanted the whole thing when I got elected, we spoke, and I think we're going to have a deal," Trump added.
He noted that if he had not been elected US President, Putin would have simply continued "to go through Ukraine."
Ukraine’s NATO membership
Ukraine had hoped to receive an official invitation to join NATO at the Washington summit in July 2024, but that did not happen. The government continues to push for a clear accession timeline, while the Alliance maintains that membership is only possible after the war ends.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at a Ramstein meeting that Washington does not consider Ukraine’s NATO membership a realistic outcome of peace talks.
Additionally, US President Donald Trump said he views Ukraine’s NATO membership as unlikely or impractical.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that if Ukraine is not in NATO, then the Alliance must be on Ukrainian territory. He stated that an alternative to NATO membership would be the deployment of Alliance forces in Ukraine. The country should have an army similar in size to the Russian one.
