DMITRY Medvedev, the former president of Russia, warned that Moscow will stop what he calls as ‘the threat’ of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ‘one way, or another’.
According to Medvedev, Russia demands that its security concerns about NATO should be respected, however, Russia does not have the intention, nor the capability to contain the said alliance.
Medvedev made the remarks in a keynote article on Sunday against the notion that Russia made a miscalculation in its attempt to prevent NATO’s expansion into Ukraine, and caused Sweden and Finland to apply for membership.
But Medvedev believes that Sweden and Finland were already in association with NATO.
According to the former-Russian President, who is also the deputy head of the Security Council, Moscow has always called not to invite NATO to the former parts of their country, especially those that they have territorial disputes.
“We have always asked for only one thing – to take into account our concerns and not to invite former parts of our country to NATO. Especially those with which we have territorial disputes,” Dmitry Medvedev, Former Russian President said.
He promised that Russia will stop Ukraine from joining NATO since the alliance says that a nation can’t join while being engaged in an armed conflict.
He also warned that the conflict with Ukraine will be permanent because Russia’s existence is at stake.
“The conflict [with Ukraine] will be permanent, because Russia’s existence is at stake,” Dmitry Medvedev, Former Russian President said.
It can be remembered that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that any serious talk about Ukraine joining NATO will be possible but only after the conflict with Russia.
“The most urgent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation in Europe. Because if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wins this war, then there is no membership issue to be discussed at all.”
“And that’s the precondition to any meaningful discussion for membership and one more thing…NATO-Ukraine council,” Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General said.
Earlier in June, Zelenskyy accepted that Ukraine cannot join NATO anytime soon until the war between Kyiv and Moscow ends.
“But we are adequate people and understand that we will not pull any NATO country into a war. And that’s why we understand that we won’t be a member of NATO while this war is ongoing. Not because we don’t want to, because it’s impossible,” Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine said.
Russia has repeatedly made grave warnings against Ukraine’s move to NATO, with the Kremlin saying that the goal of Russia’s so-called special military operation in Ukraine aims to prevent the country from joining the bloc because it poses a serious threat to Russia’s security.
