1. The question of Kyiv's future accession to the Alliance is likely a key point of contention in the expected Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, which Trump has pledged to initiate within the next few months. NATO membership is the best possible security guarantee for Ukraine and the "cheapest" option for Western allies, Zelensky told the AP. "I really believe that these are the cheapest security guarantees that Ukraine can get, the cheapest for everyone," he said. "It will be a signal that it is not for Russia to decide who should be in NATO and who should not, but for the United States of America to decide. I think this is a great victory for Trump." Ukraine officially applied to join NATO in September 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion.