US does not rule out Ukraine's accession to NATO and return to 2014 borders

John Cole, photo: Reuters

The United States has said that Ukraine can join NATO and regain control of the territories within the 2014 borders, despite previous statements by the Donald Trump administration.

This was announced by Donald Trump's deputy representative in Ukraine, John Cole, Reuters reports.

Answering a question about Ukraine's possible membership in the Alliance and the restoration of its territorial integrity, John Cole said: «It's still on the table right now».

Also, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hagel explained that his earlier words about the unlikelihood of Ukraine joining NATO did not mean that it was impossible in the future.

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«I think what I said reflects the reality of the moment, but the situation may change,» the Pentagon chief said in an interview with Breitbart News.

At the same time, Donald Trump himself later told reporters at the White House that he did not believe Ukraine could join NATO because Russia would not allow it.

John Cole also said that official talks on Ukraine have not yet begun, but the US and Europe are looking for the best way to end the war. According to him, European countries are interested in ending the conflict, although their readiness to continue military support for Kyiv remains in question.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that some Ukrainian and international leaders were dishonest when making statements about Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Also in an interview with the Economist, he said that if Ukraine does not become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, it is necessary to «build its own NATO».