**Moscow Seeks Ban on Ukraine’s NATO Entry**
The Russian government says that a ban on Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is crucial for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. This was stated by Alexander Grushko, Russia‘s Deputy Foreign Minister.
Grushko said that Russia wants “ironclad international guarantees” to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. He also wants NATO to make this a formal policy. This comes as US President Donald Trump has promised to bring Russia and Ukraine together for peace talks in 2025.
**Russia Criticizes NATO’s Past Statements**
Grushko criticized a statement made by NATO at a summit in Bucharest in 2008, where the alliance said that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually become members. Grushko called this “catastrophic for European security.”
Ukraine officially applied to join NATO in September 2022, but has not yet received a formal invitation.
**US Support for Ukraine’s NATO Bid Unclear**
It is unclear whether US President Donald Trump would support Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. Some of his statements have suggested that he might be open to it, while others have implied the opposite.
Trump recently attacked former US President Joe Biden over allegations that Biden supported Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, which was said to provoke Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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