Kremlin Adjutant Says Ukraine's NATO Membership Is A Key Question For US-Russia Negotiations

JAKARTA - Senior Kremlin officials revealed that Ukraine's process of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was one of the key questions in the United States-Russia negotiations, after a meeting between the two countries on Tuesday had not resulted in a breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine.

Membership in the alliance is one of the obstacles in US-led efforts to end the war that has been going on since 2022.

The topic is "one of the key questions, and has been discussed," between (President Vladimir) Putin, US Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law (US President Donald) Jared Kushner, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, told AFP (4/12).

"American mitra-mitra-mitra have confirmed their readiness to consider our main considerations and proposals," Ushakov told.

Kyiv views NATO membership as a bulwark against Russia's future attacks, while Russian President Vladimir Putin calls NATO's expansion one of the reasons for sending troops to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, President Trump has repeatedly rejected Ukraine's membership in NATO, and his latest 28-point plan, which critics say is a list of Russia's wishes, explicitly stating Kyiv will never be accepted as a member of the alliance.

The plan was later amended by Ukraine and Europe, but Moscow apparently rejected it at Tuesday's meeting.

Separately, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday the door remained open to Kyiv membership, but added at the moment "there is no consensus on Ukraine joining NATO."