Russia commends Trump for linking NATO to Ukraine war causes

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised U.S. President Donald Trump for stating that U.S. support for Ukraine's NATO membership contributed to the war in Ukraine. Lavrov noted that Trump is the first Western leader to publicly acknowledge this. Trump criticized former President Joe Biden for changing the U.S. stance on NATO membership for Ukraine. Lavrov highlighted Trump's comments as a sign of understanding Russia's position on the issue. During recent talks in Riyadh, Russia demanded that NATO revoke its 2008 promise to consider Ukraine for membership. Russia also rejected the idea of NATO forces acting as peacekeepers in any ceasefire agreement.