NATO
Russia says on eve of NATO summit that Ukrainian entry would be a threat requiring tough response
LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday that Ukrainian membership of the NATO military alliance would have very negative consequences for Europe's security architecture and that Moscow would respond firmly to any such step.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was speaking on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance.
“You know the absolutely clear and consistent position of the Russian Federation that Ukraine’s membership in NATO will have very, very negative consequences for the security architecture, the already half-destroyed security architecture in Europe. And it will be an absolute danger, a threat to our country, which will require from us a sufficiently clear and firm reaction,” Peskov told reporters.
Russia launched its war in Ukraine last year, something it calls a “special military operation,” after seeking and failing to obtain what it called “security guarantees” from the West that its neighbour would never be allowed to join NATO. The United States said the demand was a “non-starter”, and Ukraine should be free to decide its own alliances.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has made clear that Kyiv will not become a member while war rages, and that the Vilnius summit will not issue a formal invitation.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow and Mark TrevelyanEditing by Andrew Osborn)
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Go to hell Russia!!! You don’t dictate to the world on who can join what. You are nothing but the most despicable and bestial bullies, monsters and murderers. Ukraine must join NATO if they are going to have any chance of peace, democracy and freedom. Signing agreements as was done already when Ukraine was recognised as a sovereign nation (as civilised nations do, but the world was completely wrong about your hideous country) and when they gave up their nuclear weapons, is completely meaningless with such a deceitful and evil regime.
The Russians have been making empty threats that are meaningless. They know that NATO articles do not allow the Alliance to accept a membership of country that is at war nor that has territorial disputes with another country. This is a safe guard that it built not to go to war at a drop of a hat. Now a Russian thug called Dmitry Peskov wants to claim that NATO did not accept Ukraine because of their threats with a a rag tag military made of criminals of Wagner PMC and the Chechen thugs. The collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the fact that forme Warsaw Pact countries are members of NATO including those Russia colonised after the Second World War is nothing but a testimony to its thuggery. These countries have felt the Russian yoke of oppression and criminality including Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia some are still applying to join like Georgia and Moldova. This gives a lie to Russian stooges in this country about the NATO expansion and we know that throughout the Soviet era there was no war against Russia that NATO supported. The fact that Sweden and Finland after years outside NATO, decided to join tells the world that Russia is run by dangerous thugs to world peace and they must be stopped by all means necessary in Ukraine. The Russian threats must be ignored and everything be done to expel the criminals from Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and its people who face daily attacks from the Russian barbarians.
Well done Cunningham! Your historical facts are 100%, your humanity evident, your ability to discern right from wrong spot on and having the courage of your convictions in speaking out, praiseworthy!