The US president is the only Western leader to "publicly and loudly" admit the root cause of the conflict, Moscow has previously said

President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine should abandon its aspirations to join NATO, acknowledging this as a possible "reason" behind the ongoing conflict with Russia. Moscow has consistently opposed the US-led bloc's eastward expansion, viewing it as a threat to its national security.

Trump has repeatedly blamed the Ukraine conflict on his predecessor Joe Biden's support for Kiev's NATO ambitions, claiming that hostilities would never have broken out under his leadership. He reiterated this position following a lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month and again during a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday.

"NATO, we can forget about that. It was probably the reason this whole thing started," Trump said when asked what "concessions" could be expected in a potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev. He added that Russia "will have to" make some concessions as well but did not specify what these might involve.

Earlier this month, Trump endorsed remarks by his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who stated that Kiev must accept the reality that returning to pre-2014 borders is not feasible and that NATO membership is off the table.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed Trump's NATO comments as a sign that he understands Moscow's position and its desire for a lasting peace.

"He was the first and so far, I think, the only Western leader who has admitted, publicly and loudly, that one of the root causes of the Ukraine situation was the previous administration's 'pushy' policy of dragging Ukraine into NATO," Lavrov said last week.

Russia has repeatedly argued that the conflict was provoked by NATO's expansion toward its borders and has ruled out any temporary ceasefires, insisting on a permanent resolution. Moscow maintains that peace could be achieved if Ukraine commits to neutrality, demilitarization and denazification, and recognizes the territorial realities on the ground.

In the meantime, the US intends to "get back" the money it has spent on military and financial assistance to Kiev through an upcoming mineral deal, Trump added on Wednesday. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is scheduled to travel to Washington on Friday to sign the agreement.

Trump did not disclose the terms of the deal, but according to media reports, Washington will not offer security guarantees to Kiev under the agreement and will only "support its efforts" to secure such guarantees in the future.