Ukraine's NATO bid reignites tensions as Russia warns of escalation
The Russian foreign ministry stated in a declaration on Saturday, as reported by Reuters that the admission of Ukraine to NATO will prevent a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict and will also lead to its escalation.
Russian diplomacy referred to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's words. On Friday, after a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Rutte confirmed the earlier declaration that Ukraine will become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance.
Full readiness in the coming months
Rutte expects that the command of the training mission for Ukraine (NATO Security Assistance and Training) will achieve full operational readiness in the coming months.
- We are well on our way to fulfilling our pledge to provide Ukraine 40 billion euros of military support within the next year. (...)Supporting Ukraine is not an act of charity. It is also an investment in our own security. Because the cost of letting Putin have his way, would be much higher than the cost of supporting Ukraine. Ukraine's fight is our fight - declared the NATO Secretary General.
NATO as "the only way" to survive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with the "Financial Times" on Friday that a formal invitation to NATO membership is "the only way" for Ukraine to survive Russian attacks.
Ukraine applied for NATO membership and the European Union after the Russian invasion in 2022. Although all NATO members agreed that Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" to membership, the US and Germany oppose its formal invitation out of concern that it will escalate the conflict with Russia.
