MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadim Prystaiko said on Monday in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that Kiev could drop its position on joining the NATO bloc if this move helps avert a war with Russia.
"We might," the ambassador said responding to a journalist's question about whether Kiev could change its position on aspiring to join NATO.
The diplomat specified that Kiev attempted to find the best solution to resolve the current situation in the country. He noted that if Kiev had to make such serious concessions namely abandoning its bid to join NATO, then that was what it would do.
In February 2019, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada approved constitutional amendments enshrining Kiev’s bid to join NATO. Currently, the country holds the status of NATO partner with expanded capabilities.
The West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as «empty and unfounded», serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such claims and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.