Russia demands that NATO retract its commitment to absorb Ukraine

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on the 10th that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should formally withdraw its commitment to recruit Ukraine and Georgia to join the organization in the future, while ensuring that no weapons that may threaten Russia's security will be deployed in Russia's neighboring countries.

NATO responded that whether Ukraine can become a member of NATO will be decided by NATO and Ukraine, and "other parties" have no right to intervene.

Around Ukraine's relationship with NATO, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "Proceeding from the fundamental interests of European security, it is necessary for [NATO] to formally rescind the decision made at the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest that 'Ukraine and Georgia will become NATO members'." ”

At that summit, the United States urged NATO to admit Ukraine and Georgia as members, but European members such as Germany and France worried that NATO's rush to expand east would further irritate Russia. A compromise was finally reached within NATO, promising to allow Ukraine and Georgia to join the organization in the future.

In response to the latest statement of the Russian side, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told media reporters that nato's relationship with Ukraine will be decided by NATO and Ukraine, "not other parties."

"We are ready to sit down and talk to Russia, but every country in Europe has the right to decide its own path, and we will not compromise on this point." He said.

Ukraine's search for NATO for many years has not been successful, and Ukraine's relations with NATO have long been a key topic in Russia-US and Russia-Europe relations. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a video meeting with US President Joseph Biden on the 7th that NATO's eastward expansion and the deployment of offensive weapons in Russia's neighboring countries violated Russia's "red line".

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the 10th that NATO is "on the road to absorbing Ukraine", which will lead to the deployment of weapons systems against Russia in Ukraine.

"This irresponsible behavior poses an unacceptable threat to our security, poses serious military risks to all parties involved, and even the risk of a large-scale conflict in Europe," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. ”

The statement also revealed that the Russian and U.S. presidents talked about a number of proposals during the video meeting, including the establishment of a regular defense dialogue mechanism and the setting of "safe distances" for military aircraft and ships of both sides to carry out missions in areas such as the Baltic and Black Seas.

Ukraine, the United States and NATO have recently identified Russia as massing heavy troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border and threatening to "invade." The Russian side denied this, stressing that NATO activities threaten russia's border security and that russia has the right to mobilize troops within its territory to defend its territory. (Zheng Haoning) (Xinhua News Agency special feature)