“Trump’s team opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership, calling it an escalation,” – Zelensky

U.S. President Donald Trump’s team opposes Ukraine joining NATO, viewing it as an “escalation”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated during a press conference in Munich.

“If we are not in NATO, then we need an army of 1.5 million people with modern weapons,” Zelensky said.

He also remarked that he does not see a concrete U.S. plan for ending the war.

However, John Cole, deputy to Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg, told Reuters that the U.S. does not rule out Ukraine’s NATO membership.

“It is still on the table,” Cole said when asked about the possibility of Ukraine being invited to join the alliance and returning to its 1991 borders.

Reuters noted that this statement contradicts comments made earlier this week by the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Additionally, Zelensky announced that he will soon visit Saudi Arabia but has no scheduled meetings with representatives from Russia or the U.S.

Meanwhile, Trump has suggested that he might meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia.