Ukraine's security cannot be ensured at Russia's expense: Vladimir Putin on NATO membership

Addressing questions on NATO expansion, Ukraine's leadership, and US involvement in peace efforts, Putin said in an interview with India Today that Ukraine's security shouldn't come at the cost of Russia's security concerns.

When asked whether NATO membership for Ukraine was ever genuinely on the table and how he viewed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership, Putin said Zelensky had come to power promising peace but had deviated from that path.

"When this gentleman came to power, he declared that he would pursue peace at all costs, using every means possible, without sparing even his career. But now we see things differently. He follows the same pattern as his predecessors -- putting the interests of a narrow nationalist group, particularly radical nationalists, ahead of those of the people."

He added that the current government's approach "truly resembles a neo-Nazi regime because extreme nationalism and neo-Nazism are almost indistinguishable concepts," and argued that Kyiv continues to prioritise military solutions. "What matters most for them is realising that the best way to resolve the problems is through peaceful negotiations, and we attempted to negotiate with them back in 2022."

Putin emphasised that Russia is open to negotiations but won't agree to terms that undermine its security.

Putin said, "NATO is another matter altogether... Each country, including Ukraine, has the right to choose its own means of defence and ensure its own safety. Correct? Absolutely correct. Do we deny Ukraine this? No. But it's not acceptable if done at Russia's expense."

Putin reiterated that Moscow is only asking for commitments already made. "We are not asking for anything unusual... They were pledged to Russia back in the '90s: no expansion eastward -- this was stated publicly. Since then, several waves of expansion took place, culminating with Ukraine being drawn into NATO. This completely displeases us and poses a serious threat."

He noted that Ukraine's original Declaration of State Sovereignty recognised the country as a neutral state.

"When Ukraine became independent, few people recall this: what was the first document ratifying independence? It was the Declaration of State Sovereignty, Independence of Ukraine. That forms the foundation of Ukrainian sovereignty and modern statehood. And it clearly states that Ukraine is a neutral state," he said.

When questioned on whether Kyiv's 28-point peace proposal remains under discussion, Putin said, "They simply broke down those 28 points, then 27, into four packages and proposed discussing these four packages. But essentially, it's still just the same old 27 points."

Asked about his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, Putin said he believed Trump had sincere intentions to help end the conflict. "I have absolutely no doubt that President Trump had genuine intentions... he constantly speaks about his wish to minimise losses, and I'm confident that his sincerity is genuine." Putin added that the U.S. has "political considerations and economic interests" in resolving the conflict and said Washington is "actively seeking a solution to this problem."

On whether Trump could be considered a peacemaker, Putin said he believes Trump genuinely wants a peaceful settlement. "I am absolutely certain, with no doubt at all, he sincerely aims for a peaceful resolution... There could also be political interests tied to ending the confrontation, or economic motives too. There are numerous areas where restoring economic relations between the US and Russia would benefit both sides." (ANI)