Trump’s team mulls postponing Ukraine’s NATO membership for at least 20 years, WSJ reports

One idea within U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team for ending Russia’s war involves delaying Kyiv’s NATO membership for at least 20 years in exchange for continued arms supplies, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Nov. 6, citing three sources close to Trump.

Trump, who won the presidential vote on Nov. 5, has repeatedly said that he would end the war within “24 hours” and get the U.S. “out” of Ukraine.

Earlier media reports and statements from Trump’s inner circle indicated this would entail freezing the war on the current front lines and creating a demilitarized zone in the east, a claim also supported by the WSJ’s sources.

Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory in the south and the east and continues steadily pushing back Ukrainian defenders, albeit at the cost of heavy losses.

It remains unclear who would police the 800-mile (1,300 kilometers) long demilitarized zone, but an undisclosed Trump’s aide told the WSJ that Washington would demand European allies to send in their troops.

This proposal is only one of the ideas circling around in Trump’s team, and the president-elect has a tendency to make major policy decisions on the spot, the sources said.

Two of Trump’s advisors, retired General Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, proposed in June to cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.

At the same time, Kellogg said the plan would entail additional warnings to Russia that the U.S. would increase its military support to Ukraine if it refused the terms of the ceasefire.

Fleitz said Trump reacted positively to the plan but added, “I’m not claiming he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it.” The plan also involved taking Ukraine’s NATO accession off the table for “an extended period in exchange for a comprehensive and verifiable peace deal with security guarantees.”

Ukraine submitted a request for NATO membership in 2022 but has not received an invitation, receiving a cold response from U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and others.

Both Kyiv and Moscow said it would not be possible to end the war within 24 hours, as Trump claims. Ukraine has been adamant about not recognizing Russian occupation of its territories but has acknowledged some may have to be liberated by diplomatic means.

In turn, Russia currently holds the upper hand on the battlefield, outnumbering and outgunning Ukrainian troops, likely having little incentive to seek a settlement.