The US proposes Ukraine’s automatic inclusion in NATO if Russia violates the agreement
20 February 10:20
The United States is discussing the possibility of Ukraine’s automatic admission to NATO as part of a potential peace deal with Russia. This information was confirmed to NBC News by four senior U.S. officials, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the officials, the inclusion of this mechanism in the agreement should be an important step to ensure the security of Ukraine and its allies. One of the main reasons for this approach is the desire to solve one of Kyiv’s main problems – the risk of a repeat invasion by Russia after the regrouping of its troops.
However, along with this initiative, some other statements by US officials have caused concern in Ukraine. In particular, during a speech in Brussels, US Representative Pete Hegseth said that restoring Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders by 2014 was an “unrealistic goal.” This statement was perceived as a possible weakening of the US position on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which raised concerns among Ukrainian politicians and the public about potential concessions to the Kremlin.
While the United States and Vladimir Putin are in talks, intelligence indicates that the Russian leader is not seeking a “real peace deal,” NBC News reports. According to U.S. and Western intelligence, Putin continues to seek control of all of Ukraine, according to four Western intelligence officials and two U.S. congressional officials.
“He believes that victory is on his side,” said one Western intelligence source, emphasizing that even significant losses on the battlefield do not force Putin to stop fighting.
The six officials indicated that they believe Putin could agree to a ceasefire and a broader peace deal, as it would give his troops the time they need to reload and rebuild.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in a nutshell
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
on February 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Prime Minister’s aide Yuri Ushakov met in Saudi Arabia with an American delegation, represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Volz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
After the talks, the US State Department reported that the delegations agreed to “eliminate irritants” in bilateral relations and continue to work on preparing talks on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The two sides also agreed to appoint high-level groups for further talks on Ukraine.
Jackie Heinrich, a Fox News correspondent at the White House, reported that the United States and Russia are discussing a three-stage peace plan for Ukraine, which consists of the following stages
- A ceasefire.
- Holding elections in Ukraine.
- Conclusion of a peace agreement.
Trump’s position on Ukraine
During the election campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he would stop the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. This deadline has already passed.
Also during the election, the media spread the so-called “Trump Plan”. The plan was that the United States would use its influence to stop the war, taking into account the status quo. To do this, Trump would force Putin and Zelenskyy to sit down at the negotiating table. If Putin does not agree to negotiate, the United States will give Ukraine all the weapons it needs to win on the battlefield. If Zelenskyy refuses to negotiate, the United States will completely stop helping Ukraine.
This plan, in its various variations, included a provision that Russia would retain the territories it temporarily occupied and that Ukraine would not join NATO.
However, later Trump seemed to “forget” about this plan. In particular, he voiced scenarios in which he would force Russia to capitulate due to the decline in world oil prices.
After Trump was elected President of the United States, one of his advisors, Brian Lanza, said that Ukraine should forget about Crimea. Trump’s entourage, however, was quick to deny this statement and said that Lanza could not speak on his behalf.
Currently, the US Special Representative for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is talking about 100 days within which he wants to reach some kind of agreement. Of these, 30 days have already passed. During this time, the US presidential administration has established contact with the Kremlin, an American envoy has traveled to Moscow, and a meeting of the highest level negotiators has taken place in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine was not present at this meeting.
Meanwhile, in exchange for military support, US President Donald Trump demanded $500 billion worth of rare earth metals from Ukraine. He said that the US should have access to Ukraine’s natural resources, regardless of whether Kyiv manages to reach a peace deal with Russia. Ukraine sent its version of the agreement to the US, but the latter rejected it, accusing Ukraine of refusing to sign the deal and calling the decision short-sighted.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in brief
