Russia ‘Pleased’ at US Envoy Saying Moscow’s Concerns over NATO are Fair

Russia has said it is “pleased” after President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine said that Moscow’s concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair.

US envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg made the comments on Friday, days ahead of a potential second round of Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul, adding that America does not want to see Ukraine join the Western military alliance.

Commenting on Kellogg’s statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “We are pleased that these explanations by [Russian President Vladimir Putin] are understood, including in Washington... of course, this is quite appealing to us in terms of the mediating role that Washington continues to play.”

Putin has remained steadfast on his demand that Ukraine – a former Soviet republic – never be allowed to join NATO, citing security concerns. This demand has long been rejected by many Western nations, which argue that Kyiv has the sovereign right to make its own decisions.

On the same day as Peskov’s comment, Ukraine’s foreign minister said that Kyiv would like Trump to take part in a potential future meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart.

During a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Kyiv on Friday, Andriy Sybiha said: “Of course we would be happy if this meeting took place in a more expanded format, including with the participation of President Trump.”

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Delegations from Ukraine and Russia held their first direct talks in over three years in Istanbul on May 16, with the only tangible result of the negotiations being the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war each from the two warring countries.

The two sides also agreed to prepare a memorandum presenting their own conditions for a lasting, long-term ceasefire agreement.

The Kremlin subsequently proposed a second round of talks in the Turkish city, scheduled for June 2, but Kyiv has so far not confirmed it will take part, saying that it first needs to see the proposals Russian negotiators plan to bring to the table.

At Friday’s press conference, Sybiha said: “Ukraine has already presented Russia with its vision of further steps and efforts for peace, including the parameters of a future ceasefire.

“In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive a document in advance so the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions,” he added.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry said that Moscow is likely hesitant to provide Kyiv with its memorandum ahead of the proposed June 2 meeting out of fear that Russia’s conditions will be seen as impossible to implement.

Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 after presenting a list of demands widely seen as intentionally designed to be unacceptable by Kyiv and its allies, prompting a resolute response from many Western countries to back Ukraine.

After more than three years of a costly war, cracks have begun to appear in international commitment to continued military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Some European powers have raised concerns that Trump could be willing to make a peace bargain that makes significant concessions to the Kremlin.

Trump has made finding a resolution to the war in Ukraine a priority of his administration, saying that he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker.

Both Kyiv and Moscow are keen to demonstrate to Trump that they are on board with his efforts to end the conflict, with Ukraine seeking additional US military aid and Russia hoping for an easing of economic sanctions placed on it over its ongoing war.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that if the June 2 talks go ahead in Istanbul, the next step would be to try to host a meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky.

Zelensky had already offered to meet Putin face-to-face during the first round of talks in Turkey earlier in May, but the Russian president declined to do so.