Trump Shuts the Door on Ukraine’s NATO Hopes Amid Growing US-Russia Talks

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump has firmly ruled out Ukraine’s NATO membership, stating that the country can “forget about” joining the Western military alliance. His remarks mark a sharp departure from the policies of former President Joe Biden, who had supported Ukraine’s eventual accession to NATO without setting a clear timeline.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Trump linked NATO’s eastward expansion to the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying, “It was probably the reason this whole thing started.”

This announcement is the latest indication of a shift in US foreign policy regarding Ukraine. Over the past two weeks, the US government has demanded that Ukraine hand over mining rights to its rare earth minerals as compensation for over a decade of American aid. Trump claims Ukraine owes the US up to $500 billion.

On Friday, Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Washington to finalize an agreement regarding Ukraine’s mineral resources. In return, Zelensky has requested US security guarantees against Russia. However, Trump has made it clear that no such guarantees will be provided.

Meanwhile, the US has recently engaged in direct talks with Russian officials regarding the war, notably excluding Ukrainian representatives from these discussions.

Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO has been a key objective of its government since the 2014 regime change known as Euromaidan. The protests, primarily centered in Kiev and western Ukraine, led to the overthrow of democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych. US officials, including then-Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Senator John McCain, played an active role in supporting the pro-Western movement.

A leaked phone call between Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt later revealed how American officials directly influenced the formation of Ukraine’s post-revolution government.

The aftermath of Euromaidan set the stage for years of conflict. Fighting first broke out between the Ukrainian government and ethnic Russian populations in the east, later escalating into full-scale war with Russia in 2022. Moscow, citing military and political provocations from the US and its allies, launched what it called a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Today, Russia controls roughly a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and continues to advance in the east, while Ukraine, struggling with manpower shortages, fights to hold key areas. Russia has repeatedly called for Ukraine’s neutrality as a condition for any peace agreement and has demanded an end to Western military activities near its borders.

With Trump signaling a strategic realignment, Ukraine’s future within NATO remains more uncertain than ever.