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NATO states’ enabling of sending mercenaries to Ukraine makes them accomplices — diplomat

Maria Zakharova also underscored that NATO will use the pretext of "war in Ukraine" in order to pull more and more countries in its ranks

MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. NATO member states become accomplices to war crimes in Ukraine when their authorities enable sending mercenaries to this country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in commentary Saturday.

"Despite the statements that NATO is not a side to the ‘conflict in Ukraine,’ the Alliance continues providing assistance to the Kiev regime, including by shipment of weapons. Certain member states enable sending mercenaries, including ‘former servicemen,’ to take part in the hostilities on nationalist battalions’ side. In doing so, the authorities of these countries become accomplices in war crimes," the commentary reads.

The diplomat noted that, during the March 4 emergency meeting, NATO Foreign Ministers stated that the Alliance’s relations with Russia have "fundamentally" changed for the "long-term perspective."

"We would like to note that these relations have actually changed not now and not on Russia’s fault. The problems in our relations started long before the 2014 crisis in Ukraine," she underscored. "The NATO ministers said that the event in Ukraine is ‘the worst military aggression in Europe in decades.’ Obviously, they have forgotten what they did with Yugoslavia in 1999, how they turned a blind eye to what Ukrainian authorities did as they carried out their punitive operation against the people of Donbass."

Zakharova also underscored that NATO will use the pretext of "war in Ukraine" in order to pull more and more countries in its ranks.

"NATO’s ‘desire’ to provide assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia amid the situation in Ukraine, which allegedly can spread to these countries, is bewildering. The Alliance didn’t explain how this could happen exactly. It is obvious that NATO will use the pretext of ‘war in Ukraine’ to pull more and more countries in their ranks. The Alliance continues its work on expansion of its sphere of influence. Meanwhile, NATO does not allow any alternative for these countries," the diplomat underscored.

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