Moscow approves Trump’s stance on Kiev’s NATO offer

(MENAFN) Russia has expressed approval of US President Donald Trump’s recent comments regarding Ukraine’s NATO membership ambitions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised trump for being the first Western leader to acknowledge that supporting Ukraine's NATO bid was a mistake.

Trump, speaking in Florida last month, emphasized his understanding of Russia's long-standing opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, a stance that was ignored by President Joe Biden. Trump noted that had he been in office, the current conflict might have been avoided, as he would not have supported Ukraine's NATO ambitions.

Lavrov welcomed Trump’s remarks, suggesting that they signal the US might be ready to reconsider NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s potential membership. He stressed that NATO's approach to Ukraine was a core issue that led to the ongoing conflict, accusing the West of ignoring Russia’s warnings and pledges not to expand NATO.

Moscow has long insisted that any resolution to the conflict must involve Ukraine’s neutrality and demilitarization, while Ukraine views NATO membership as key to its security. Although NATO has declared Ukraine’s accession as “irreversible,” it has stated that Ukraine must meet specific conditions, including resolving the conflict with Russia.

MENAFN09022025000045015687ID1109185251