RIGA, May 6. /TASS/. Ukraine is NATO’s close partner, but the North Atlantic Alliance is not obliged to guarantee the security of this country. NATO’s task is to protect the safety of its member-countries, said Maris Riekstins, Latvia’s Ambassador to the Alliance who is mentioned as one of the republic’s potential presidential candidates.
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"I must draw the line between NATO member-countries and any other country which is not a NATO member. For example, Ukraine. There’s no doubt that what is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy, since soldiers and civilians are dying. People often don’t understand why NATO doesn’t provide military assistance to Ukraine. It’s worth recalling that NATO’s basic task is to protect the security of residents on the territory of the Alliance members. Ukraine is a close partner of NATO, but, no matter how cynical this may sound, guaranteeing Ukraine’s security is not NATO’s duty. NATO is not a global policeman, and it has no intention of acting outside the territories of its member-countries," he said.
According to Riekstins, the goal of the Western world, which comprises Latvia as a member of the EU and NATO, is to prevent a large-scale conflict with unpredictable consequences. "This is precisely what the EU and NATO’s policies are aimed at," he noted.