Ukraine’s possible refusal to join NATO will not mean a solution to Russia’s security problems. This opinion was expressed on Monday, February 14, by political strategist Marat Bashirov.
According to him, such a move is unlikely, since the idea was expressed by the ambassador, who does not share the ideas of the team of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“It is necessary to understand that this is the private opinion of one Ukrainian ambassador. And even then he is not very friendly with the Zelensky team. So the statement made is not the position of Ukraine, it must be shared. Now, if such words were heard from the lips of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the conversation would be different, ”said the political strategist in an interview with Lenta.Ru. He noted that at best it was just sounding the soil: the ambassador was instructed to speak, he said.
The political consultant also added that Russia’s security issues are not resolved by Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO alone.
“Russia will still want legal guarantees from NATO, the United States. So the fact that Ukraine suddenly withdraws its application does not solve problems and does not provide guarantees,” Bashirov concluded.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, said that Kiev may refuse to join NATO in order to “avoid war,” writes Pravda.Ru.
However, later the diplomat was forced to refute his words about the possible refusal of Kiev from the course towards joining NATO, after his statement was rejected by officials in the Ukrainian capital. Prystaiko stressed that Ukraine would not revise its plans to join NATO, writes Life.Ru.
At the same time, the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Serhiy Nikiforov, recalled that Ukraine’s desire to join the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union is enshrined in the country’s Constitution. In turn, British Deputy Defense Minister James Hippie said that the United Kingdom would support Ukraine’s decision to refuse to join NATO if the Kiev authorities accept it.
At the same time, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, noted that Prystaiko’s statement, which allowed the country to abandon the idea of joining NATO, does not indicate a change in Kiev’s worldview. Nevertheless, he noted that “Ukraine’s recorded rejection of the idea of joining NATO would be a step that would significantly contribute to the formulation of a more meaningful response to Russian concerns.”
Prior to that, on January 10, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted that Russia needs guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia will never become NATO members. He stressed that Moscow “needs reinforced concrete, legally significant guarantees, not promises.”
On December 26, 2021, Peskov called NATO expansion into Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova “a matter of life and death” for Russia.
On December 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that after Ukraine was accepted into NATO, weapons threatening Russia could be deployed. The head of state expressed hope that “all concerns about NATO expansion” would be heard.
Kiev considers joining NATO the main direction of Ukraine’s foreign policy. In 2014, the Ukrainian parliament decided to abandon the country’s non-bloc status. In 2019, the Ukrainian authorities changed the text of the constitution, now it states that the state aims to join the alliance.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
