ROME, November 12. /TASS/. US President-elect Donald Trump aims to end NATO's advance toward Russian territory, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

"It’s clear that he wants to end this semi-obsession with pushing NATO almost into Russian territory," Bannon stated, according to the newspaper.

He added that Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement seeks to completely cut funding to Ukraine. According to Bannon, Europe, including Italy, will follow Trump’s lead, and, if "they [Europe and Italy] truly believe what they have been saying in recent years, they should be ready to pay."

Bannon himself does not plan to rejoin the new Trump administration. He named Robert Kennedy Jr., Elon Musk, and Tucker Carlson as members of Trump’s transition team. Meanwhile, he pointed out that the political career of Mike Pompeo, who served as Secretary of State under the previous Trump administration, is over.

Bannon, who served as White House Chief Strategist from January 20 to August 18, 2017, was sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of Congress and was released in late October.