Wed Feb 26 18:59:26 UTC 2025: ## Trump Rejects NATO Membership for Ukraine, Offers Resource Deal in Exchange for Security

**Washington D.C.** – President Donald Trump announced today that he will not offer Ukraine security guarantees or NATO membership, instead proposing a deal centered around Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for indirect US security presence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Washington on Friday to finalize the agreement, which has been met with mixed reactions.

Trump, who has pursued a dramatically different approach to the Ukraine conflict than his predecessor, stated that European allies will bear the primary responsibility for Ukraine’s security. He emphasized that the deal, involving the transfer of rare earth minerals crucial for aerospace and technology, would indirectly provide security, suggesting US presence on Ukrainian soil would deter further aggression.

“It’s a great deal for Ukraine,” Trump claimed, adding that the US presence would act as a deterrent. “Nobody’s going to be messing around with our people when we’re there.” However, he explicitly ruled out formal security guarantees and NATO membership for Ukraine, echoing Russia’s position that NATO expansion was the root cause of the conflict. “NATO – you can forget about it,” he declared.

This stance contrasts sharply with former President Biden’s support for Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s recent vote at the UN, siding with Russia on a resolution calling for an end to the war without emphasizing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, has raised concerns among US allies.

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have expressed concerns about the lack of explicit US security commitments and emphasized the need for strong US support to ensure the success of any agreement. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to reiterate these concerns in a meeting with Trump tomorrow. Trump, however, remains confident that his approach will lead to a resolution, asserting that his negotiations have yielded a more compromising attitude from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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