Putin says Ukraine's possible NATO membership will 'create further tensions'
Vladimir Putin has said the possibility of Ukrainian membership of NATO will "create further tensions on the world stage", Sky News reports.
The Russian president added he was "not against security guarantees" for Kyiv, but that he would not accept them "at the cost of Russia's security".
He went on to say that providing new weapons to Ukraine would "further escalate" the conflict and "just worsen the situation". Earlier, Mr Putin had chosen not to mention the NATO summit in a speech at a technological forum.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed on Wednesday that Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member: “We have agreed that Ukraine's future is in NATO. We reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member. We actually have agreed on concrete tools, political tools, practical tools to help Ukraine move towards membership.”
Additionally, Ukraine's alignment with NATO would challenge Russia's aspirations for regional dominance and limit its ability to exert influence over its neighboring countries. Moscow fears that a NATO presence in Ukraine would undermine Russia's strategic interests, erode its sphere of influence, and potentially result in the establishment of hostile military bases near its borders.
