The Kremlin affirmed this Friday that the declarations of the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, on the need for his country’s early entry into NATO, show that Kiev is not capable of resolving issues through dialogue. “These statements speak of the Kiev regime’s lack of preparation, desire and ability to resolve existing problems at a negotiating table,” said Russian Presidency spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
Zelensky insisted on Thursday at a summit of the European Political Community in Moldova that they soon join NATO, considering that this is the best guarantee for their security. And he assured that Ukraine is already “ready” to enter the bloc. The Ukrainian leader assured that “Russia fears NATO and tries to gobble up only those countries that are outside the space that the Atlantic Alliance defends.”
The Kremlin representative replied that Russia will continue to take measures to guarantee its security, which excludes a closer approach of the Alliance to its borders. “That excludes the expansion of the Alliance and its direct approach to our borders, also through the entrance of Ukraine,” Peskov said. He added that the discussions on this issue are a source of “irritation” and “potential problems” for many years.
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, expressed reluctance yesterday when asked about Ukraine’s possible entry into NATO at the end of the war and pointed to the absence of border conflicts as an admission criterion. “There are clear criteria for membership, including that there be no border conflicts,” he stated at a press conference at the end of the leaders’ summit in the Moldovan town of Bulboaca.