Ukraine "can forget" about joining NATO: US President Donald Trump

Speaking to reporters before his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday (local time), Trump said the US would "try very hard" to negotiate a deal ensuring Ukraine regains as much as possible.

When asked whether Russia retaining occupied territories would send a dangerous message, Trump responded, "You try and take it away, right? We're going to do the best we can. We're going to do the best we can to make the best deal we can for both sides. But for Ukraine, we're going to try very hard to make a good deal so that they can get as much back as possible. We want to get as much back as possible."

However, Trump did not specify what concessions he expected from Russia and Ukraine. He reiterated that Ukraine "can forget" about NATO membership and blamed the alliance for the war that began in 2022.

When asked about the concessions he had in mind, Trump said, "I don't want to tell right now. But I can tell you that NATO, you can forget about. That's been, I think that's probably the reason the whole thing started."

During the press conference, Trump described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "a very smart and cunning person." He suggested that if he had not been elected, Putin would have continued advancing through Ukraine.

"He's a very smart guy. He's a very cunning person. But I've dealt with some really bad people. But I will tell you, as far as this is concerned, you have to understand, in my opinion, he had no intention of settling this war. I think he wanted the whole thing," Trump said.

"When I got elected, we spoke, and I think we're going to have a deal. I can't guarantee you that. You know, a deal is a deal. Lots of crazy things happen in deals, right? But I think we're going to have a deal. If I didn't get elected, I believe he would have just continued to go through Ukraine, and over a period of time, a lot of people would have been killed. It would have lasted for a period of time. And the reason that Ukraine--I have great respect for Ukraine as fighters. They have great fighters. But without our equipment, that war would have been over, like people said, in a very short period of time," he added.

Trump also announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the US on Friday, where the two countries will sign a "very big agreement."

"We're doing very well with Russia-Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is going to be coming on Friday. It's now confirmed. And we're going to be signing an agreement, which will be a very big agreement. And I want to thank Howard and Scott for the job you guys did in putting it together. Really did an amazing job. And that'll be on rare earth and other things," Trump said.

Zelenskyy's visit follows US Special Presidential Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg's trip to Kyiv last week. During their discussions, they addressed battlefield developments, prisoner exchanges, and security guarantees.

Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to peace and its readiness for a "strong, effective investment and security agreement" with the US.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy stated, "I had a productive meeting with @SPE_Kellogg--a good discussion, many important details. I am grateful to the United States for all the assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. It's important for us--and for the entire free world--that American strength is felt. We had a detailed conversation about the battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war, and effective security guarantees."

He added, "From the very first second of this war, Ukraine has sought peace. We must and can ensure that peace is strong and lasting--so that Russia can never return with war. Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the President of the United States. We have proposed the fastest and most constructive way to achieve results. Our team is ready to work 24/7. Success unites us all. Strong Ukraine-U.S. relations benefit the entire world. I thank General Kellogg for the joint work to achieve important results." (ANI)