Former US President Donald Trump attributed the Russia-Ukraine conflict to his successor, Joe Biden’s, support for Ukraine’s NATO aspirations.
Trump reiterated his assertion that the war wouldn’t have occurred under his presidency, blaming Biden for suggesting Ukraine’s potential NATO membership. He stated on Thursday, “I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow them…to join NATO. I don’t see that happening,” adding, “And long before President [Vladimir] Putin, Russia was very strong on the fact. I believe that’s the reason the war started, because Biden went out and said that they could join NATO, and he shouldn’t have said that.”
Trump endorsed his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s assessment of Ukraine’s NATO prospects, calling the remarks “pretty accurate.”
Hegseth, speaking before a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, ruled out Ukraine’s NATO accession as part of any peace agreement and dismissed the deployment of US troops to Ukraine. He stated, “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”
However, Hegseth later clarified his position, stating that the ultimate decision rested with Trump. On Thursday evening, Hegseth said he “was not going to stand at this podium and declare what President Trump will do or won’t do, what will be in or what will be out, what concessions will be made or what concessions are not made.” Despite this, he maintained his assessment of Ukraine’s NATO prospects as “what’s likely” and a reflection of “hard-power realities on the ground.”