Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirms Ukraine's determination to join NATO
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (l) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, February 14, 2022. AP
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3 mins
During a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Ukrainian president said on Monday that Ukraine's membership of NATO "would
guarantee its security
".
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The question is at the heart of the current crisis between Russia and the West.
At the risk of further irritating the Kremlin, which considers Ukraine's membership of NATO as unacceptable, President Volodomyr Zelensky has reaffirmed his country's determination to join the Atlantic Alliance.
“
We understand that NATO membership would guarantee our security and our territorial sovereignty
,” he said during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Kiev.
The Ukrainian president also presented
the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
, which is to link Russia to Germany bypassing Ukraine, as "
a geopolitical weapon
", considering that Kiev and Berlin had "
some disagreements in their assessment
" of the impact of this project.
Washington urges Berlin to cancel this project, still awaiting authorization from the German side, in the event of an invasion of Ukraine.
But the German government has so far remained evasive on this issue.
"
Seize dialogue offers
"
The German Chancellor, who will travel to Moscow on Tuesday, for his part urged Russia to seize the "
offers of dialogue
" intended to lead to a de-escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.
“
Russia's military activities on the Ukrainian border are not understandable.
There are no reasonable grounds for such a military deployment
,” he said.
Olaf Scholz once again warned the Kremlin in the event of an attack on Ukraine, promising "
wide-ranging
" measures with significant repercussions on the Russian economy.
“
No one should doubt the EU's determination and preparedness
,” he said.
Americans and Europeans are indeed raising the specter of heavy sanctions against Moscow in the event of a military invasion.
"
This is what I will emphasize tomorrow in Moscow
," insisted the German Chancellor, reaffirming that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine were "
non-negotiable
".
"
That's why we expect Russia to take unquestionable steps towards de-escalation
," he continued.
►
To read also: Ukrainian crisis: "An attempt to redefine the international order"
After several days of offensive statements from Moscow, the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that a chance to find a compromise was still possible.
"
Our possibilities are far from being exhausted
," he said during a meeting with Vladimir Putin broadcast on television, even proposing to "
prolong and broaden
" the dialogue.
“
Good
”, answered the Russian president laconically, whose intentions remain for the moment indecipherable for the Western capitals.
A sense of calm
Russia, which already annexed Crimea in 2014 and supports pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, has consistently denied any aggressive intentions.
On the contrary, she says she is threatened by the expansion of NATO resources in Eastern Europe and calls for “
security guarantees
”, in particular the assurance that Ukraine will never join NATO.
The West deemed the Russian demands unacceptable, but proposed increased dialogue on other issues, such as arms control.
Sergei Lavrov deemed
some of the American proposals "
constructive ".
The United States keeps repeating that an invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, but Kiev has tried in recent days to put the threat into perspective.
As if to give the impression of an appeasement, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also announced the end of certain military maneuvers on Monday, as exercises on the Russian-Ukrainian borders and in Belarus fuel fears of a military escalation.
But, a sign that the situation remains explosive, the Pentagon said on Monday that Moscow had reinforced its military force on the borders of Ukraine during the weekend, where more than 100,000 soldiers have been massed for weeks.
(
With
AFP)
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Ukraine
Russia
Volodymyr Zelensky
Olaf Scholz
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