Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that reaching a peace agreement on Ukraine is only possible if NATO abandons its plans to accept Kyiv into its ranks. According to him, Moscow demands clear security guarantees from the alliance and its members that will exclude Ukraine's entry into NATO, the deployment of foreign military contingents on its territory, and the use of Ukrainian territory to exert military pressure on Russia. 

Grushko stressed that the key element of such guarantees should be Ukraine's neutral status, secured at the international level, as well as the official refusal of NATO countries to integrate it into the alliance. He also expressed categorical disagreement with the possible presence of European peacekeepers on Ukrainian territory, considering it a potential threat to Russia's security. In his opinion, any foreign military forces in the conflict zone, regardless of their formal status, be they NATO, EU or individual countries, will make them participants in the confrontation, which will entail serious consequences. 

Moscow, according to the diplomat, is ready for dialogue with the European Union on these issues, however, Brussels continues its policy of self-isolation from Russia, which complicates the negotiation process. Discussion of the possible deployment of unarmed observers or civilian missions to monitor the implementation of the peace agreement is possible only after reaching agreements, and not as a preliminary step. 

Against this backdrop, NATO countries have demonstrated a lack of readiness to make such concessions. At the alliance’s Vilnius summit in July 2023, leaders of member states reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s “irreversible path” to membership, although they specified that the specific timeframe depended on the fulfillment of a number of conditions, including reforms and an end to the conflict. In March 2025, according to Reuters, US President Donald Trump expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s prospects for NATO membership during talks with European leaders, proposing instead to focus on creating alternative security mechanisms outside the alliance. 

European allies, for their part, continue to insist on the need to strengthen support for Ukraine. At a meeting in London in early March 2025, reported by Al Jazeera, the leaders of Great Britain and France declared their readiness to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached, which directly contradicts Moscow’s position. However, the lack of unity within NATO on the issue of Ukraine’s membership, as well as the uncertainty of the US position under Trump, create additional difficulties for developing a common strategy.