Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he does not oppose Ukraine's membership in the European Union (EU). However, he reaffirmed his previous position that joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is absolutely unacceptable. This comment came amidst a subtle confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the resolution to the Ukraine war. On the same day, President Trump increased pressure by saying he was 'very disappointed' with President Putin.
During the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China, on the 2nd (local time), President Putin met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and said, 'I have never opposed Ukraine's EU membership.' The SCO is a Eurasian security cooperation body led by China and Russia.
It is unusual for President Putin to express a willingness to accept Ukraine's EU membership. Russia has considered Ukraine's integration into the Western camp itself a taboo. However, he drew a line by saying, 'NATO membership is a different matter' and that 'our position is, as you know, unacceptable.' NATO is a military alliance composed of North American and European countries. Russia has strongly opposed Ukraine's NATO membership, citing it as a direct threat to its national security.
President Putin also claimed that he reached 'mutual understanding' with the Trump administration to end the war. He said, 'Now we are seeing this mutual understanding, which is noteworthy,' and expressed hope that 'this constructive dialogue continues.' This implies that there has been some communication between the two countries following the U.S.-Russia summit held in Alaska in August.
However, President Trump's thoughts were entirely different. In a radio show interview on the 'Scott Jennings Radio Show' that day, President Trump directly criticized President Putin, stating he was 'very disappointed.' He also mentioned that he would take action to help people survive, leaving the possibility of additional sanctions open. This is interpreted as an expression of dissatisfaction with Russia's passive stance on Ukraine peace negotiations, even after the Alaska meeting.
Currently, the two countries appear to be dreaming different dreams regarding the resolution of the Ukraine conflict. President Trump suggested holding a trilateral meeting, which would include himself, after a bilateral meeting between President Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has been lukewarm about the meeting itself, stating that specific agendas have not been prepared.
In this situation, President Putin showcased that he has emerged from diplomatic isolation through the SCO summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who once turned his back on him, clasped hands with President Putin, smiling and revealing their friendship. The New York Times (NYT) analyzed that 'President Trump helped end Putin's isolation,' suggesting that 'Trump's unpredictable foreign policy created opportunities that would establish a stable partner image for Putin and Xi Jinping.'
Experts say that while President Putin demonstrates a conciliatory gesture by keeping the possibility of Ukraine's EU membership open, he seems to have adopted a strategy of maintaining the core principle of NATO membership being unacceptable while wrestling with the United States.