The understanding that Ukraine should not join NATO had been around for a long time already, US President Donald Trump said.
"Well, you know, there are not that many left [countries to join NATO] when you get right down to it, right? There are no that many left. Uh, it was always, ... long before [Russian President Vladimir] Putin ... it was an understanding that Ukraine would not be going into NATO. This was long before Putin, in all fairness," Trump said in an interview published on Tuesday.
High Time Ukraine Holds Presidential Elections
"Yeah. I think so. It has been a long time. It has, uh ... has not been doing particularly well. Yeah, I think it is time. I think it is an important time to hold an election. They are using war not to hold an election, but, uh, I would think the Ukrainian people would ... should have that choice. And maybe Zelensky would win. I do not know who would win. But they have not had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it is not a democracy anymore," Trump said.
Zelensky Should Read Settlement Proposals
"Well, he’s gotta read the proposal ... he hasn’t read it yet," Trump said. It is time for [him] to pull himself together and start agreeing to the proposals, because he is losing on the battlefield, he added.