LONDON, March 20. /TASS/. Ukraine could potentially become a buffer zone between Russia and the European Union, give the interests of parties involved, including Moscow, are strictly regulated and taken into consideration, Hungary’s EU minister Janos Boka told The Financial Times (FT) in an interview.
"Ukraine can only function as a buffer zone if there is a consensus among global actors on what is possible and what is not possible on the territory of Ukraine. Otherwise, it will be a conflict zone, not a buffer zone," the Hungarian minister said. "If either the US or the EU does something in Ukraine without [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s approval, this in itself is a source of conflict," Boka stressed.
However, the minister said, Ukraine would be more useful in that role without integration in Europe’s defense structures. "We do not see the security of Europe in the integration of Ukraine into defense systems, but we see the need for a buffer zone between Russia and European defense structures, which serves the interests of both Russia and Europe," the FT quoted Boka as saying.