Kremlin Welcomes Trump’s Position on Blocking Ukraine's NATO Membership
The Kremlin has welcomed remarks from U.S. officials indicating that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership may no longer be on the table — a position long opposed by Moscow and described as a key factor in the ongoing war.
On Sunday, retired U.S. General Keith Kellogg, an adviser to Donald Trump, stated that NATO membership for Ukraine was “off the table.” Former President Trump has previously argued that the West’s support for Ukraine’s inclusion in the alliance was one of the factors that led to the war with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently pushed for his country to join NATO, with strong backing from the U.S., the UK, and other Western allies. However, Moscow has viewed any potential NATO expansion to include Ukraine as a threat to Russian national interests.
Responding to the U.S. shift, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “We have heard from Washington at various levels that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is excluded. Of course, this is something that causes us satisfaction and coincides with our position.” Peskov also described NATO membership for Ukraine as one of the “root causes of the conflict.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, sparking the most serious East-West confrontation since the Cold War. While the U.S. and its allies have portrayed the invasion as an aggressive land grab, Russia maintains that it is defending itself against Western encroachment.
Trump, who is seeking a return to the presidency, has repeatedly positioned himself as a potential peace broker, saying he wants to bring an end to the "bloodbath" in Ukraine. His administration has described the war as a proxy conflict between the U.S. and Russia.
Putin has said that Russia would be willing to negotiate peace if Ukraine drops its NATO bid and withdraws from four regions that Russia claims to control. At a 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, alliance leaders had declared that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually become members. Ukraine even amended its constitution in 2019 to reflect its goal of joining both NATO and the European Union.
Reports in late 2024 suggested that Putin might be open to a deal with Trump but would not concede significant territory. He would also expect Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambitions.
In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump said he hopes Russia and Ukraine will reach a peace deal this week, adding, “BOTH WILL THEN START TO DO BIG BUSINESS WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHICH IS THRIVING, AND MAKE A FORTUNE!” On Friday, Trump warned both Kyiv and Moscow that the U.S. would step back from further mediation if either side proves too difficult in negotiations. “We're talking about people dying,” Trump said. “We're going to get it stopped, ideally.”
His Secretary of State pick, Senator Marco Rubio, echoed that message, saying: “We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end.”
Meanwhile, signs of investor optimism were seen in Russian markets. The rouble strengthened to around 80 against the U.S. dollar on Monday — its highest level since June 2024 — as expectations of a possible peace deal grew. The currency has gained more than 40% against the dollar since the start of the year.
Asked about Trump’s comments, Peskov declined to comment on any specific timelines. “President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful settlement,” he said. “We are continuing to work with the American side and, of course, we hope that this work will yield results.”
Peskov also refused to confirm a Bloomberg report claiming the U.S. may be willing to recognize Russian control over Crimea as part of a broader peace deal. “Work on finding a peaceful settlement cannot and should not take place in public,” he said. “It should take place in an absolutely discrete mode.”
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