MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Joining NATO would be a "disaster for Ukraine" – a straight line to civil war, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said.

"I oversaw and pushed forward the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU. But I have always been a categorical and staunch opponent of Ukraine's accession to NATO. I have always clearly understood that this would be a disaster for Ukraine. It's a road to nowhere. This is a direct path to civil war," he told reporters.

He was commenting on a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit that the West's constant attempts to draw Kiev into NATO are one of the main causes of the Ukrainian conflict.

"Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] is absolutely right," Yanukovych said.

"Indeed, I worked purposefully to bring Ukraine closer to the EU. I ultimately set the goal of Ukraine joining the European Union. Another thing is that the EU partners sometimes behaved improperly during the negotiations, to put it mildly. They did not show any understanding of the complexities of the economic situation in Ukraine. To be frank: they were condescending."

In his speech, Putin drew attention to the fact that as a result of the coup in 2014, "the political leadership of the country that opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO was removed."

Yanukovych served as the head of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014.