US President Donald Trump has dismissed the possibility of a Russian military attack on NATO as a threat. The claim was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stated that Russia might use a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict to launch a large-scale war against NATO, potentially in the summer or late summer. Zelenskyy said he did not know the exact timing, but was certain that a war would occur.
In a separate interview, Trump denied Zelenskyy’s assertion, stating, “No, I don’t agree with that at all.” Trump also emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin primarily wants an end to the fighting, adding, “They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve done it before. They’ve got a big, powerful machine. They defeated Hitler and Napoleon, but I think he would like to stop the fighting.”
Trump also mentioned that he expects to have a personal meeting with Putin soon, following a phone conversation with the Russian leader last week and a call with Zelenskyy.
Moscow has repeatedly ruled out a short-term ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict and has demanded a permanent, legally binding agreement that addresses the root causes of the conflict. One of the factors, according to Russia, is the NATO’s expansion and Ukraine’s aspirations to join the military alliance, which poses a threat to its national security and is a key factor behind the current military conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier dismissed the idea of a Russian attack on NATO as nonsense, stating in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson in February that NATO leaders were trying to scare people with a fabricated threat. Clever people, he said, would understand that this was misinformation.