Putin dismisses Trump's NATO proposal amid rising tensions
Vladimir Putin rejected the suggestion from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team that Ukraine's membership in NATO would be delayed by at least a decade in exchange for Russia agreeing to end the war against Ukraine, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal from Donald Trump's team regarding a potential peace plan. This proposal entailed delaying Ukraine's NATO membership by at least a decade in exchange for Russia ending the war.
Responding to a journalist's question on December 26 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time about commenting on Trump's team's proposal, Putin stated that it doesn't matter whether Ukraine joins NATO "today, tomorrow, or in 10 years."
According to ISW, his statement is part of a series of comments where the Russian leader refuses to compromise on his previous demands. These demands include Ukraine's neutrality, limitations on its military, and a change of government in Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview on December 26 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer the legitimate leader according to the Ukrainian constitution and that new presidential elections are necessary. ISW notes that the Kremlin is deliberately misinterpreting Ukrainian law to delegitimize the government in Kyiv.
Russia does not want to negotiate with Ukraine, demanding a change in power as a precondition for peace talks.
Putin and other Russian politicians repeat the narrative of Zelensky's alleged illegitimacy, blaming Ukraine for delaying negotiations. ISW emphasizes that this narrative supports Putin's demand for the removal of Ukraine's democratically elected government, which is one of the Kremlin's goals in the ongoing war.
Trump's promises
Donald Trump declared that he intends to end the war immediately. He even claimed that he could do it in one day. When taking office, he suggested that Ukraine should consider giving up part of its territory to Russia as part of a peace compromise. Trump's plan also proposed that both countries should enter negotiations.
We will work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. This must end. I have seen reports, thousands of people killed in three days, these were soldiers. But regardless of whether they are soldiers or people living in cities, we will work on it— assured Donald Trump during a gala organized at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
– Putin will not agree to Trump's peace plan because his goal is to destroy Ukraine and expose the West's ineffectiveness – assessed former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with Politico.
