Russia has reportedly set a condition for the United States, stating that Ukraine cannot, under any circumstances, become a part of the NATO military alliance.
A Russian government spokesperson told a state media outlet that two key points had been made clear to the U.S.:
- Ukraine must not be allowed to join NATO.
- Ukraine must maintain a neutral stance in any peace negotiations.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated, “We expect that security concerns will be given adequate importance in this peace agreement. Therefore, Ukraine must play a neutral role in these discussions.”
He further emphasized that NATO must not operate in Ukraine in any capacity, and no NATO troops should be stationed there.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also expressed strong opposition to the European Union’s stance on deploying NATO peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. He insisted that Russia would never accept such a move.
Russia Rejects UK and France’s Peacekeeping Plans
Both the United Kingdom and France have proposed deploying peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, claiming it would guarantee stability. However, Russia has strongly objected to this plan. Medvedev even called the UK and France’s approach “foolish” and warned that if NATO peacekeepers were deployed in Ukraine, Russia would consider it a direct confrontation with NATO.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s security advisor, Michael Waltz, has suggested that Ukraine might have to make two major sacrifices for peace:
- Ceding the territories currently occupied by Russia.
- Abandoning its NATO membership aspirations.
In an interview with ABC News, Waltz stated that Ukraine might have to forget about joining NATO entirely, as peace negotiations with Russia would be impossible otherwise.
Russia’s Territorial Demands
Russia has declared that it has fully taken control of the Donbas region, including Donetsk and Luhansk. Russian forces are also present in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Moscow has indicated that it is willing to enter a peace agreement if Ukraine surrenders these territories—similar to how Ukraine had to give up Crimea in the past.
In a recent meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, Kyiv refused to accept the territorial concessions demanded by Moscow. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement while also setting out several conditions of his own.