President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he sympathized with the Russian position that Ukraine should not be part of NATO, and he lamented that he will not meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before his inauguration.

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he can "understand the Russians' feelings" about Joe Biden allegedly breaking a "deal" to deny Ukraine NATO membership. Source: Trump at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on 7 January,

While Ukraine’s acceptance into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) appears unattainable, armed neutrality may be the country’s next best option to protect against future Russian aggression.

Russia's advances in Ukraine over the past week plummeted to levels last seen in July, according to an analysis by an independent investigative Russian news outlet. Newsweek has contacted the Russian government for comment via email.

Donald Trump, the former President, suggested on Tuesday that NATO member countries should allocate 5% of their GDP to defense-related issues. Trump also expressed optimism that the conflict in Ukraine could be resolved within six months.

During a Jan. 7 press conference, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden for provoking Russia’s full-scale invasion by supporting Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations. Trump argued that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership has long been a major concern for Moscow.