Donald Trump said Ukraine “can forget about” joining NATO despite Volodymyr Zelensky saying he would resign if his country was accepted into the alliance.
The US president was asked what “concessions” would bring an end to the three-year-long war after he reversed three years of US policy regarding Ukraine.
He responded: “Oh, I don’t want to tell right now. But I can tell you that NATO you can forget about. I think that’s probably the reason the whole thing started.”
Vice President JD Vance then chimed in, and while he agreed with Mr Trump’s comments on holding private negotiations, he did not reiterate his stance on Ukraine joining NATO.
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The VP said: “I mean, look, as the president said, we’re not going to do the negotiation in public with the American media.
“He’s going to do it in private with the president of Russia, with the president of Ukraine and with other leaders. I think that’s how this has to go.”
Over the weekend, Mr Zelensky said he is “exchangeable” for Ukrainian membership to NATO while speaking to reporters at Stansted Airport before he left the UK.
He said: “I am exchangeable for NATO. I have said that I am exchanging for NATO membership, then it means I have fulfilled my mission. NATO means I have fulfilled my mission.”
This comes after the president got into a heated discussion with Mr Trump at the White Hose on Friday. The US president accused Mr Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three”, adding that he does not “have the cards”.
He said: “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. We’re trying to solve a problem … You’re gambling with millions of people seeing you gambling with World War Three. You’re gambling with World War Three.”
The Ukrainian leader left early, postponing the signing of a minerals deal between the two countries. Mr Trump said they would meet again when he was “ready for peace”.
