Trump reveals main goal on Ukraine, advises Kiev to 'forget' about joining NATO
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Ukraine could forget about its ambition to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Asked about what concessions Washington would seek from Moscow in resolving the Ukraine issue, he said: "I don't want to tell you right now. But I can say, forget about NATO."
“That's probably why it all started,” the US President added.
Also according to TASS, President Trump said in the first cabinet meeting at the White House on February 26 (US time) that the goals the US is pursuing in Ukraine are to end the bloodshed and recover the money spent to support Kiev. "My first goal is to make that stop," he said, referring to the losses on the battlefield.
"My second goal is, I don't want to have to pay any more money, because Biden spent $350 billion with no chance of getting it back. Now we're going to get all of that money back, plus a lot more," the US president said.
Also at the above cabinet meeting, the US leader said that he would try to raise the issue of returning some lost territories to Ukraine, but this would be very difficult to do.
Trump has pledged to do his best to secure the best deal for both Ukraine and Russia. Ahead of President Vladimir Zelensky's visit to the US, Trump assured that Washington would do its best to ensure Ukraine could regain as much territory as possible.
Trump said on February 25 that Zelensky could come to Washington on February 28 to sign the mineral deal. The US leader expressed in early February that the US wanted access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
Earlier, on February 12, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented the natural resources agreement to Mr. Zelensky. Although Mr. Zelensky expressed his willingness to sign the agreement, he did not do so during the meeting with Mr. Bessent, nor during the subsequent meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Munich.
Mr. Zelensky said that the draft presented lacked security guarantees. However, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz announced on February 21 that Mr. Zelensky would soon sign the agreement with the United States.
Later, sources from Mr. Zelensky's office informed the Ukrainian media that the document still needed to be completed, and Mr. Zelensky himself stated at a press conference on February 23 that he "did not want" to sign the agreement with the United States because, according to him, future generations of Ukrainians would have to bear the financial burden.
