Kremlin Acknowledges Nuances in NATO Expansion Talks, Prefers Closed-Door Discussions

Moscow welcomes the fact that explanations about the inadmissibility of NATO's eastward expansion are being understood in Washington, Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. According to Trump's special envoy, the U.S. is ready to halt the alliance's expansion toward Russia's borders.

"We are glad that these clarifications [by President Vladimir Putin] find understanding, including in Washington, and of course, this is quite pleasing to us given the mediating role Washington continues to play,” Peskov stated.

The day before, U.S. President's special envoy Keith Kellogg acknowledged that Russia's concerns about NATO's eastward expansion were justified.

"They are not just talking about Ukraine, but also Georgia and Moldova. We say: "Okay, comprehensively — we can stop NATO's expansion to your borders.' This is a matter of their security,” Kellogg said.

At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman noted there are "subtle nuances” in this issue that Moscow prefers not to discuss publicly.

"We consider it necessary to handle this in closed contacts,” he added.

President Donald Trump himself has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will never join NATO. In his view, it was the promise by former White House chief Joe Biden to guarantee Kyiv's accession to the alliance that led to the military conflict with Russia.

Russian authorities have also pointed out that Ukraine's ambition to join NATO was the cause of the conflict's outbreak. In June 2024, President Vladimir Putin called Kyiv's official rejection of NATO membership one of the conditions for starting peace talks. Putin would like to receive a written commitment from Western countries not to expand NATO eastward at the expense of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that if NATO's doors remain closed to Kyiv, then it will be necessary to "build NATO in Ukraine.” According to Zelensky, this can be achieved by financing the country's defense and supporting the development of its military industry at a level that "will guarantee peace.”

In 2023, Sweden and Finland joined NATO simultaneously. They decided to abandon their neutrality policies after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine. As a result, the number of NATO member states rose to 32, and their land border with Russia more than doubled — to 2,600 km (the length of the Russia-Finland border is about 1,300 km).