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West seeks to use Ukraine as foothold in standoff with Russia, Ukrainian politician says

Russia is taking the center stage as a global authority, Chairman of the Political Council of Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For Life party Viktor Medvedchuk says

KIEV, January 29. /TASS/. The West is using Ukraine as a foothold in its standoff with Russia, Chairman of the Political Council of Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For Life party Viktor Medvedchuk told the UkrLive TV channel on Saturday.

"The West has another goal, a strategic one. The West has long decided to use Ukraine as a foothold, which is unfortunate for Ukrainian citizens and I regret to say it. A foothold for a standoff with Russia. It’s not clear why they need a standoff with Russia. Today, Russia is taking the center stage as a global authority, the US has issues in terms of relations with China who maintains friendly ties with Russia," Medvedchuk pointed out.

According to him, the West "views it as one of the reasons for the achievements that Russia has made in Syria and what Russia has been doing in the Middle East." "All of this annoys the West who can’t accept it. And the main reason why tensions have been rising recently is because Russia came up with an initiative - I would call it an ultimatum - about the written legal security guarantees that the US and NATO should provide," the Ukrainian opposition politician noted.

Russia earlier called on the US and NATO to sign legally binding documents on mutual security guarantees amid what Moscow sees as NATO’s attempts to use Ukraine’s soil for military purposes. The parties have held several rounds of talks, including a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

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