The Kremlin welcomed the statement of the administration of US President Donald Trump that Ukraine's membership in NATO is excluded as a possibility, calling this position "satisfactory" and "coinciding with Russia's", said the spokesman for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, quoted by "Reuters".
At the same time, Peskov refused to comment on Trump's hopes for a quick agreement and pointed out that "issues around a peaceful settlement should not and cannot be discussed publicly". He added: "President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful solution. We continue to work with the American side and hope that this work will bear fruit."
"We have heard from Washington at various levels that Ukraine's membership in NATO is excluded. "This, of course, satisfies us because it corresponds to our position," Peskov told reporters in Moscow. He stressed that Ukraine's possible accession to the US-led alliance would pose a "threat to the national interests of the Russian Federation" and is one of the "root causes of the conflict."
The statement came a day after General Keith Kellogg, a US representative and adviser to Trump, said that Ukraine's membership in NATO was no longer on the table. Trump himself, who has repeatedly criticized the policy of supporting NATO expansion, said on Sunday that he hoped a deal could be reached this week to end the war in Ukraine.