Putin to demand Ukraine never join NATO during talks with Trump, Bloomberg reports
Russia will demand that Ukraine cut its ties with NATO and become "a neutral state with a limited military" during talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 15, citing its sources.
Trump has previously signaled that he is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very quickly" following his inauguration, adding that the Kremlin is also seeking it. Trump has repeatedly reiterated that he plans to end the war in Ukraine swiftly, in part because he allegedly has good ties with Putin.
The Kremlin reportedly accepts that individual NATO member states can continue to send weapons to Ukraine as part of bilateral security agreements, but the weapons "should not be used against Russia or to recapture territory," one of the sources told Bloomberg.
Moscow's position is that it will de facto retain control over almost 20% of Ukraine's territory, including the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014. In the meantime, Russia is allegedly open to exchange some territories, the media outlet reported, citing its sources.
Kyiv and Moscow are currently holding talks only on the exchange of prisoners and the return of deported children, Ukrainian officials told the media outlet on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia are also having "limited talks" in Qatar on the rules for protecting nuclear facilities from attacks, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the Kremlin's preparations.
Trump has often voiced sympathies for the Russian leader while criticizing the level of support the outgoing Biden administration threw behind Kyiv. This prompted concerns that the new U.S. leadership might cut a deal unfavorable to Ukraine.
Trump's incoming peace envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said that the president-elect's aim is not to "give something to Putin or the Russians" but to "save Ukraine and save their sovereignty."
Trump said that specific peace proposals are still being worked out. A pitch leaked from his team — freezing the front lines, postponing Ukraine's NATO accession by 20 years, and deploying European peacekeepers on the ground — has already been rejected by Russia.
Francis Farrell
