According to WSJ, Trump's team is considering delaying Ukraine's NATO membership for at least 20 years

One idea within U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team to end the war with Russia is to delay Kiev's NATO membership for at least 20 years in exchange for more arms supplies, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Nov. 6, citing three sources close to Trump.

Trump, who won the presidential election on November 5, has repeatedly said he would end the war within “24 hours” and “withdraw” the US from Ukraine.

Previous media reports and statements from Trump's inner circle suggested that this would mean a freeze on the war on the current front lines and the creation of a demilitarized zone in the east, a claim also supported by WSJ sources.

Russia currently occupies around 20% of Ukrainian territory in the south and east and continues to steadily push back Ukrainian defenders, albeit at the cost of heavy casualties.

It remains unclear who would oversee the 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) demilitarized zone, but an undisclosed Trump adviser told the WSJ that Washington would require European allies to send their troops.

This proposal is just one of the ideas circulating within Trump's team, and the president-elect tends to make key policy decisions locally, the sources said.

Two of Trump's advisers, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, suggested in June that military aid to Ukraine would be cut off unless it agreed to negotiate peace with Russia.

At the same time, Kellogg said the plan would include additional warnings to Russia that the U.S. would increase its military support to Ukraine if it rejected the terms of the ceasefire.

Fleitz said Trump responded positively to the plan, but added: “I'm not saying he agreed with it or agreed with every word of it.” The plan also called for Ukraine to join NATO “for an extended period of time off the table in return for a comprehensive and verifiable peace agreement with security guarantees.”

Ukraine applied for NATO membership in 2022 but did not receive an invitation and received a cool response from US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and others.

Both Kiev and Moscow said it was not possible to end the war within 24 hours, as Trump claims. Ukraine has stubbornly insisted it does not recognize Russian occupation of its territories but has acknowledged that some may need to be freed through diplomatic channels.

In return, Russia currently has the upper hand on the battlefield, outnumbers and outguns Ukrainian troops, and likely has little incentive to seek a solution.

What we know about Trump's plans to end Russia's war on Ukraine

Trump has repeatedly said he could end the war against Russia “in 24 hours.” What is his plan?