**Trump Blames Biden for Provoking Russian Invasion**
US President-elect Donald Trump has blamed President Joe Biden for provoking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At a press conference on January 7, Trump said that Biden’s support for Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations had been a major concern for Moscow.
“This has been like written in stone,” Trump said. “And Biden said, ‘No, they should be able to join NATO.’ Then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep. I could understand their feelings about that.”
**Previous Plan to Delay NATO Membership**
A report by The Wall Street Journal had previously suggested that Trump’s team was exploring a plan to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for Western arms supplies and European peacekeepers.
Trump also criticized Biden’s foreign policy decisions, including the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he said contributed to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a full-scale war against Ukraine.
**No Negotiations with Putin**
When asked about possible negotiations with Putin, Trump said that he would wait until after his inauguration on January 20 to hold talks. He expressed frustration at not being able to talk to Putin sooner, given the ongoing conflict and loss of life.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate that I meet until after January 20,” Trump said. “You know every day people are being killed – many, many young people are being killed.”
**Russia Reiterates Demands**
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously reiterated his willingness to engage in dialogue with Trump but upheld Moscow’s demands, including the rejection of Ukraine’s NATO membership.
**No Concrete Steps for Peace**
Trump has pledged to bring a swift end to the war during his election campaign but has not outlined concrete steps for achieving peace.