Trump says issue of Ukraine joining NATO never discussed

The issue of Ukraine's joining NATO was never discussed as part of the mining deal. This was stated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Ukrainian side is trying to impose this topic on the states, first showing its readiness to sell their lands and then setting forth conditions that became the prerequisite for the military conflict.

Donald Trump:

"I see that Zelensky's tried to change the terms of the rare earth metals deal. We've already prepared that deal. It's done. And now I've heard from journalists that he's willing to make a deal for NATO membership or something like that. First of all, that was never discussed. Secondly, Vladimir Putin has been saying this for a long time - Ukraine should not join NATO. This is precisely the reason why the war started."

Meanwhile, Trump is trying to dictate his own terms. For example, the White House host issued a stern warning to Moscow that double tariffs would be imposed on Russian oil for failure to meet U.S. requirements to settle the Ukrainian conflict.