Trump's Reason for Opposing Ukraine's NATO Membership Until the End [AK Radio]

"No U.S. Troop Deployment to Ukraine"
"European Security Must Be Handled by Europe"

U.S. President Trump stated during a phone call with Russian President Putin that Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is "not realistic." The two leaders are scheduled to meet soon in Saudi Arabia to discuss negotiations for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Trump administration is reportedly inclined to accept two ceasefire conditions proposed by Russia ? Ukraine's non-membership in NATO and recognition of Russia's control over the Ukrainian territories it occupies. This is analyzed as an effort to reach a ceasefire agreement as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, Ukraine and the European Union strongly oppose this. Ukraine warned that accepting Russia's demands would amount to a declaration of Russia's victory and could lead to further invasions into Eastern Europe. They particularly argue that NATO membership serves as a safeguard against additional Russian incursions.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently drew a clear line during a visit to NATO headquarters, stating, "European security is the responsibility of European countries, and there will never be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine." The U.S. has made it clear that it will focus its efforts on countering China in the Pacific, and that European allies must share the burden of European security.

On the 13th (local time), Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, made his first visit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after taking office. Photo by AP and Yonhap News

This is expected to place a significant burden on European countries. Should U.S. security support cease, European nations will need to independently finance approximately $3 trillion (about 4,500 trillion won) in defense spending over the next decade. Currently, even if the combined army forces of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are totaled, they amount to about 500,000 troops, which is significantly inferior to Russia's standing army of 1.5 million.

The Trump administration's shift in stance is analyzed to involve strategic considerations beyond mere cost savings. The United States' greatest security challenge is to deter China's military threat, and to this end, it is pursuing plans to deploy over 60% of its total military forces to the Pacific region.

In particular, concerns have been raised that Russia's excessive weakening due to significant military losses in the Ukraine war could actually reduce the U.S.'s leverage against China. Accordingly, the U.S. appears to aim to promptly end the Russia-Ukraine war and strengthen its encirclement strategy against China through cooperation with Russia.

Potential Changes in the Northeast Asian Security LandscapeThe U.S.'s policy shift is expected to influence the security strategies of Northeast Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan. Especially, the reduction of the U.S.'s role in NATO is analyzed to potentially have ripple effects on other regional military alliances.

Consequently, there are growing possibilities of independent military build-ups and nuclear weapons development among Northeast Asian countries. Experts predict that economically capable regional countries like South Korea and Japan may pursue nuclear force expansion, including the acquisition of nuclear submarines. Recently, public opinion in South Korea has been rising in favor of the need for independent nuclear weapons development to counter North Korea's nuclear threat.