The Kremlin is angry at NATO head Jens Stoltenberg’s statements that Ukraine belongs to NATO. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that if Ukraine were granted access to the Western alliance, Ukraine would pose a “serious and significant security threat” to Russia.
Russia also feels confirmed by the statements in its goals for the invasion of Ukraine, says Russian correspondent Joost Bosman. “For Russia, this remains one of the main reasons for the special military operation, says the Kremlin.” Bosman also points out that Ukraine’s NATO membership had already been suggested in 2008. “It was already mentioned at the Bucharest summit at the time, but a timeline had not yet been set.”
Even now, Ukraine remains in the waiting room. Ukrainian President Zelensky said July’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania could become “historic”. Stoltenberg confirmed that Ukraine’s possible membership will be high on the agenda of that summit. “Of course Russia is not happy with this, but the Kremlin’s statement was still quite moderate,” says Bosman.
Visit amazing Stoltenberg
What strikes the correspondent from Russia is Stoltenberg’s visit to Kiev and Zelensky. ‘This is very surprising, because NATO is essentially not a party to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. It is individual states that supply Ukraine with weapons, but they all happen to be NATO countries. But officially NATO as an organization is not involved. The fact that Stoltenberg is visiting Kiev says a lot about NATO’s rapprochement with Ukraine.’ Bosman expects long-term accession talks to take place.
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
