WASHINGTON
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed sympathy for Russia’s opposition to Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
Addressing a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump also criticized outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden of allegedly altering the US stance on Ukraine’s NATO membership.
“A big part of the problem was, Russia – for many, many years, long before Putin – said, ‘You could never have NATO involved with Ukraine.’ Now, they’ve said that. That’s been, like, written in stone.
“And somewhere along the line Biden said, ‘No. They should be able to join NATO.’ Well, then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I could understand their feelings about that,” Trump said.
Russia has cited NATO’s expansion towards its borders as a key reason to start its “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
In September 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a surprise bid for fast-track membership of the military alliance.
NATO members have supported Ukraine’s eventual membership, but the country has never been extended an invitation.
Trump, who has questioned US aid to Ukraine, said on the campaign trail he could solve the war in Ukraine quickly.
Asked if he could resolve the war within six months, Trump responded: “I hope to have six months. No, I would think, I hope long before six months.”
He added: “Russia is losing a lot of young people, and so is Ukraine, and it should have never been started.”
Trump also expressed frustration over not being able to meet Putin before taking office on Jan. 20, calling such a meeting inappropriate without elaborating further.
“I know that Putin would like to meet,” he said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate that I meet until after the 20th, which I hate, because, you know, every day many, many young people are being killed.”
