MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Instead of ending the conflict in Ukraine, the European Union wants to move NATO structures to that country without admitting it as a full-fledged member in a bid to turn it into an area of perpetual tension, a Russian senator told TASS.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged earlier on Monday that Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance is "out of the question." However, in her words, Ukraine needs serious security guarantees that "have to be real troops, real capabilities."
"As a matter of fact, the West suggests that Ukraine be assigned the role of an anti-Russian stronghold, void of sovereignty in the area of security and ruled from the outside. This is a path to chronic instability, provocations, and escalation, where any incident may trigger a large-scale conflict. The only real basis for security in Europe is no more expansion by the bloc, respect for the interests of all parties, and the restoration of the predictable system of divided responsibility zones," said Alexander Voloshin, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, from the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
According to the senator, NATO’s advance on Russian borders in bypassing formal procedures violates the principle of "indivisible security, which says that no one can strengthen their security at the expense of posing threats to others."
"Any format of Ukraine’s integration into the NATO military architecture, either formal or not, will demolish what has remained of the buffer zone and turn Ukraine’s territory into a perpetual source of tension. Military bases, air defense systems, heavy weapons, and foreign contingents mean a dramatic reduction in missile flight time and increased Russia’s vulnerability, which will only add risks to the entire Europe. Such guarantees substitute for peace by institutionalizing the conflict, Voloshin added.