On Monday, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz ruled out the idea of Ukraine joining NATO after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to step down for Ukrainian entry into the military alliance.
“I do not see the United States having Ukraine enter into NATO and then having United States troops essentially obligated, immediately, in terms of Article 5, or coming to have US troops coming directly in for the defense of Ukraine,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News.
Zelensky made the remarks about resigning in exchange for NATO membership in response to President Trump calling him a “dictator” over the lack of elections in Ukraine. But Zelensky’s comments were not seen as a genuine offer to relinquish power since Ukrainian NATO membership is a non-starter for negotiations with Moscow, and the Trump administration had already ruled out the idea.
Waltz also said he believed the US and Ukraine would soon be signing a deal on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and other natural resources, although Zelensky has pushed back on the terms the Trump administration has been seeking.
“We expect the Ukrainians to realize the opportunity that this is, and President Zelenskyy to realize the opportunity that this is, to be co-invested with the United States of America in the future of Ukraine, in the future of its economy, and growing the pie in terms of its natural resources, that not only helps Ukraine, but recoups these hundreds of billions of dollars for the Ukrainian people, and for the American taxpayer going forward,” Waltz said.
Zelensky said on Sunday that he did not believe Ukraine was in debt for previous US military aid since President Biden and Congress agreed to provide the assistance as grants, not loans.
Waltz said last week that Zelensky’s refusal to sign the rare earth mineral deal he was offered was one reason why President Trump had been “very frustrated” with the Ukrainian leader. Trump and Zelensky have also been at odds over the talks between the US and Russia that didn’t involve Ukraine.
That’s why, U.S. will wait and replenish and allow the bear to calm down before attempting again.
Will fail. The bear has zero trust of the USA anymore or any of its vassals, they know all too well that we wish them totally destroyed and ruined and that our word is worth nothing at all. That's how low our civilization has fallen.
There's obviously no place in NATO for Ukraine and also NATO itself may well be imploding as we speak, especially considering the declarations of the new (prospective) German Chancellor.
NATO needn't implode. I despise the organisation for what it has become since its purpose expired in 1991, but if it wants to reorg into an exclusively European Union military, that's just fine by me.
I don’t know how it will implode but it’s clearly a time like when the Warsaw Pact was crumbling back in the 80s: Trump behaves like an elephant in a china shop, the European leaders are in disarray, the far right (but also the far left) is growing, there is no real strong leadership of any kind, there’s no purpose in NATO other than serve as aircraft carrier for US imperialism, some countries like Turkey or France, or even Britain, are in serious crisis of one type of the other (econmic, political, very serious social unrest), they talk of “joint army” and “rearming” but they don’t address the issue of real political unity, which should be at the very foundation of any such reinvention of Europe…
My take is that there will be a chaotic scatter: each country on their own with their own goals: France’s extreme and sustained instability of many many years already (since Macron reached office) can’t but explode (Macron’s days in power are counted: his popularity is extremely low and he’s running governments that collapse one after the other because his party is in the extreme minority and can’t really agree with anybody else). Eventually (not yet, more war will happen first, especially in the Middle East), the USA will probably pull out altogether, even from defending Israel, maybe pressed hard at home or whatever. That’s what happened to the USSR: they pulled out from East Germany and next day (so to say) they were collapsing, even if their peoples mostly wanted the Union to persist. The last USSR member was Kazakhstan but the last Soviet bloc polity was Afghanistan, still resisting against the US-backed Taliban months after Yeltsin ended the USSR and withdrew the supporting troops.
History never repeats itself exactly but this is one of those cases where it seems to rhyme all too well.
Economical interest may be a better bonding. It will take decades to recover from this economic disaster.
It is simply falling apart, there is nothing left to hold it together, besides Russia is not the enemy. NATO served the US, never in defense of a NATO member.
It served to keep the Europeans under control with boots and nuclear weapons on the ground in Germany and other nations on the continent.
Russia is not the enemy, China is not the enemy, Iran is not the enemy either… then who is the enemy? I’d go for Wall Street.
Man —- is the bastard
Yes, big money, the Oligarchs are the enemy of the people.
And who he is, he the former CEO for BlackRock in charge of the German business, I smell a conflict of interest.
What can one expect from a Banana Republic?
Trump's position on Ukraine not joining NATO is firm. It is consistent with the 2 long standing international agreements. Those that want Ukraine in NATO support violating agreements and making war.
Zelensky has no credibility.
Admission to NATO must be unanimous. If proposed, it will fail.
Big deal, there is no NATO left worth joining. But it sounds like being in charge.
With his rhetorical proposal of NATO membership, Ukrainian President and actor Zelenskyy intends to keep the war with Russia going until Russia is defeated.
https://www.president.gov.ua/en President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/mi-mayemo-zdobuti-mir-siloyu-mudristyu-ta-yednistyu-nashoyu-96305 We Must Win Peace through Strength, Wisdom, and Unity – through Our Cooperation with You – Speech by the President at the “Support Ukraine” Plenary Session 24 February 2025
https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/ponad-40-lideriv-uzyali-uchast-u-plenarnomu-zasidanni-pidtri-96313 Over 40 Leaders Participated in the “Support Ukraine” Plenary Session 24 February 2025
https://www.rada.gov.ua/en/news/News/top_news/258973.html Ruslan Stefanchuk: International support for Ukraine is the key to victory 24 February 2025
LIVE: EU Leaders And Zelenskyy Hold Joint Press Conference On Anniversary Of Russia-Ukraine War 24 February 2025
https://ukraine-elections.com.ua/en/election_data/election_history/27
https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-legitimacy-question/
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/why-ukraines-elections-can-wait/
https://theconversation.com/in-pushing-for-ukraine-elections-trump-is-falling-into-putin-laid-trap-to-delegitimize-zelenskyy-250003
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2024/03/is-zelenskys-legitimacy-really-at-risk?lang=en
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2025/02/trump-ukraine-political-shift?lang=en¢er=russia-eurasia
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_37750.htm Relations with Ukraine
https://www.cato.org/commentary/dont-let-ukraine-join-nato
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/five-reasons-why-ukraine-should-be-invited-to-join-nato/
https://carnegieendowment.org/europe/strategic-europe/2024/11/taking-the-pulse-would-freezing-ukraines-nato-membership-process-advance-peace?lang=en
https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/foreign-and-security-policy/a-lesson-in-realism-6847/
https://www.cfr.org/article/neutrality-alternative-ukraines-membership-nato
https://press.un.org/en/ukraine
Zelensky willing to give up presidency in exchange for Nato membership. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9vx01evp9o
Good luck with that, Elensky. Also good luck with staying alive…
"We Must Win Peace through Strength, Wisdom, and Unity"
I am reminded of the Christian metal band Stryper's name – "Salvation Through Redemption, Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness".
Further I am disappointed Stryper and SLAYER never did a "Heaven & Hell" double-bill tour.
SLAYER is the ONLY band.
What international support? The US neocons destroyed the USA/NATO alliance, they destroyed the EU economically. Trump is going for a world wide trade war, what does he expect to win by doing that other than rubble?
No to the new world disorder!…!….,
Our proven reserves of REE minerals is considerably larger than Ukraine's reserves. In the context of AMERICA FIRST, why do we need to import the REE elements from Ukraine? That is not MAGA.
Oooh, that's a rather remarkably good point.
I'd guess it's about resource denial ? If the US secures Ukrainian rare-earths (and I'm confident Trump thinks Vibranium is among them) that means the Russian Federation, DPRC, other BRICS nations, and EU can't get to them.
The Russia has the REE of their own in Ukraine… Not to mention of what they have in mother land…!
Really, the most common element in east Ukraine (for Actinides; REE Lanthanides aside) has to be depleted Uranium by now…
Zelensky agrees to Ukraine rebuild investment with BlackRock CEO
by Zach Schonfeld – 12/28/22 11:41 AM ET
Merz, the new German chancellor, was the CEO managing the German business for BlackRock. "Geopolitical" business, money sticks together.
Lots of countries have imported or the REE of their own… It's the Processing and Purifying of them that is a huge burden….! China is Ten years ahead in that Department from the rest of the world…!
Their point is control over all REE elements across the globe.
“We expect the Ukrainians to realize the opportunity that this is, and President Zelenskyy to realize the opportunity that this is, to be co-invested with the United States of America in the future of Ukraine, in the future of its economy, and growing the pie in terms of its natural resources, that not only helps Ukraine, but recoups these hundreds of billions of dollars for the Ukrainian people, and for the American taxpayer going forward,” Waltz said.
Didn't they already realize that "opportunity? And isn't that why they are in the mess they are in now?
Waltz needs to be told that Ukrainians have learned the hard way the USA can't be trusted, oligarchs will stab their own children in the back for money.
As a Canadian, how 'bout Ukraine as America's 51st state ? Why buy rare-earth resources when you can own them outright ?
And not that Trump needs elections ever again in America, but the Venn Diagram between Ukraine's Banderites and Trump's own GISS Army supporters has a huuuuge overlap for "boo foreigners", "yay White people", and "gott mit uns" nationalism.
Sign of Desperations…!
Even if Moscow were willing, there is no NATO left, and no functioning countries, Europe is in shambles, a bunch of failed states, Germany, France, and UK, it will take centuries to get back on their feet. The USA is Europa's biggest enemy. If the USA can't control they will destroy.
What NATO could he possibly join??? There is no NATO left, no EU, Western democracies have been reduced to BANANA Republic status, that includes the mighty USA. Look at Musk taking over the government with a chainsaw, much like Argentine, wake up.
Biden took a sledgehammer to the German economy and with it the EU. Look at the quality of the ruling elite in Europe and the ME. Everything is bombed out and bulldozed, even the people. Biden and the neocons and deranged evil Zionists, more evil and deranged men than Netanyahu and his ilk are unthinkable, they did the job and the Western value people watch and applaud, so much for Christian values.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/blackrock-plots-to-buy-ukraine/
Bradley Devlin
Dec 30, 2022
The enemy is Wall Street, definitely so.
The UKRAINIAN PEOPLE KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE AND WHO DESTROYED THEIR COUNTRY.
BIDEN TOLD THE WHOLE WORLD that Putin has to go, they were grooming Navalny to replace him, to be like Yeltsin and sell Russian assets for pennies on the $$$, Trump and Musk are set to taste and choke on the money plus the wealth of Europe, it is there for them to take. Ukraine was only cannon fodder, Europe will be next. Predator Capitalism at its best.
And Trump expects the Europeans to pay for the rope Trump wants to hang them with, that to him is a good deal.