The U.S. President Donald Trump’s representative for Ukraine stated that Russia’s apprehensions regarding NATO’s expansion to the east were “valid,” and the United States does not intend for Ukraine to join the U.S.-led military alliance.

In a response to ABC News concerning a Reuters article that indicated Russia sought a written commitment to halt NATO’s eastward expansion to include Ukraine and other former Soviet nations, Keith Kellogg remarked, “It’s a reasonable concern.”

“We have made it clear that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is not currently an option, and we are not the only country expressing that view,” Kellogg emphasized. “I could likely name four other NATO nations, and all 32 members must agree for any new country to join.”

Kellogg noted that this is one of the points Russia is likely to raise, mentioning that discussions are not just limited to Ukraine but also involve Georgia and Moldova.

He also indicated that the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would aim to consolidate their separate memoranda into a single agreement, with discussions scheduled in Turkey for the following week.

“As we head to Istanbul next week, we’ll convene and deliberate,” he stated, mentioning that national security advisers from Germany, France, and Britain would participate in the discussions regarding the memorandum alongside the United States.

Kellogg expressed that Trump felt “frustrated” with Russia due to what he described as Putin’s “unreasonable” actions. He condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities and confirmed that he had advised Ukraine to attend the upcoming talks.