US President-elect Donald Trump is unlikely to support further expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which will inevitably affect Ukraine, which seeks to join this union. This forecast the director of the Center for the Study of International Security Problems at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana) Michael Desch, who is also a professor in the faculty of international relations of this higher educational institution.
„Trump does not have the same commitment to NATO as previous American presidents. He will again be more active in seeking a more even distribution of the financial burden in the Alliance, reducing such a burden on the US. And I do not foresee his support for further expansion of the Alliance, which will also affect Ukraine”, said the American political scientist.
Ukraine has applied for accelerated accession to the North Atlantic Alliance in September 2022. NATO adopted a statement on 11 July 2023 after the Vilnius summit expressing confidence that the country's future lies in the alliance. An invitation to join NATO could be extended to Ukraine "when the allies reach an agreement and the conditions set by the West for Kiev are met," the document said. The likely time of acceptance was not announced. The organization has repeatedly stressed that joining it is impossible while Ukraine is in a state of conflict. At the same time, the US and NATO declare that the alliance will maintain an “open door” policy.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Trump defeated his opponent, Democratic representative Kamala Harris, in the November 5 general election. In addition, the Republicans were able to take control of the US Senate. Based on current information, Republicans may also consolidate their majority in the House of Representatives. Harris has been the Vice President of the United States since January 2021. Trump's inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025.
Until Trump takes office, Democrat Joe Biden remains head of state. Trump was the 45th US president. He was in power from 2017-2021