 "‘Ukraine a buffer between Russia and Europe’: Trump rules out Nato seat for Kyiv")
US President Donald Trump called Ukraine a “buffer” between Europe and Russia on Tuesday (August 19). He said that Ukraine will not become a part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) amid peace efforts in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
In an interview with Fox & Friends, Trump confirmed that plans were underway for a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “They are doing okay. I don’t think they are ever going to be best friends, but they are doing okay,” he said.
Trump added: “They (Ukraine) are not going to be part of NATO, but we’ve got the European nations who will frontload it. France, Germany and the UK want to have boots on the ground. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I think Putin is tired of it. We are going to find out President Putin in the next few weeks.”
He said Ukraine would be offered a security guarantee, but not NATO membership. “That is not something that would ever, ever happen. If you were Russia, who would want to have your enemy, your opponent, sitting on your line? You don’t do that. It was always thought that Ukraine was a buffer between Russia and Europe. And it was.”
Trump also said the United States had become the “hottest” country in the world and was being respected by global leaders, citing the presence of European leaders in Washington on Monday alongside Zelenskyy for peace discussions.
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Trump said he had spoken directly with Putin while hosting Zelenskyy at the White House. “I called President Putin and I do have a good relationship, but it only matters if we get things done, otherwise I don’t care about the relationship,” he told Fox & Friends.
He claimed that he had resolved seven wars, including tensions between India and Pakistan, but said the Ukraine conflict was the hardest to settle. He suggested US support for Kyiv could involve air power.
Trump again blamed former President Joe Biden for the war, claiming “millions” had been killed. “This is a war that would have never, ever, ever happened if we had a president — a real president,” he said.
Possible trilateral meeting
Earlier, Trump had called his discussions with Zelenskyy and European leaders a “very good, early step” towards ending the nearly four-year-old war. He revealed that Putin and Zelenskyy could soon meet directly, with a potential “Trilat”, a trilateral meeting involving himself, Putin and Zelenskyy, to follow.
Zelenskyy has already agreed to talks with his Russian counterpart, but there has been no confirmation from Putin, who met Trump in Alaska last week.
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