Trump envoy states Russia has ‘fair concern’ regarding NATO enlargement
(MENAFN) U.S. presidential envoy Keith Kellogg has said that Russia’s concerns about NATO expansion are valid. In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, Kellogg addressed Moscow’s desire for a formal commitment from NATO to halt further enlargement, particularly the inclusion of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
“It’s a fair concern and we’ve made that clear,” said Kellogg, noting that Ukraine joining NATO “is not on the table.” He suggested that halting NATO’s eastward expansion would require approval at the presidential level.
Kellogg pointed out that during the late Cold War, U.S. officials gave verbal assurances to the Soviet Union that NATO would not expand eastward if Moscow supported German reunification. Russia has since cited NATO’s post-Cold War growth as a betrayal of those promises and a direct threat to its security.
NATO’s continued push to admit Ukraine has been a major flashpoint in the current conflict. In 2021, Russia proposed a diplomatic solution to avoid escalation, but Western nations rejected it, reaffirming NATO’s open-door policy and calling Ukraine’s path to membership “irreversible.”
Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to resume in Istanbul on Monday. Moscow plans to present a draft agreement outlining terms for a conditional ceasefire. Ukrainian officials have voiced frustration over not receiving the proposal in advance and hinted they might skip the talks.
Kellogg urged Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov not to boycott the meeting. “Showing up is part of proving you’re serious,” he said.
Russia and Ukraine had reached a tentative peace deal in 2022 during earlier Istanbul talks, but Kiev later pulled out, hoping for military success with Western backing. Moscow sees the current round of talks as a chance to revive that agreement, which includes Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces.
When asked whether those terms suggest Russia isn’t serious about peace, Kellogg replied that ending the war is in Russia’s own interest.
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