Ukraine will never join the North Atlantic Alliance, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in an interview with TASS.
Commenting on NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's statements that the condition for Ukraine's entry into the military bloc is victory in the conflict with the Russian Federation, the deputy minister said: “This means that this will never happen&rdquo ;. “I hope Mr. Stoltenberg understands that,”, he added.
„He knows better than I do how the infamous decision was prepared in 2008, when NATO leaders wrote at the highest level that Ukraine would become a member of NATO. This is largely the cause of the entire crisis we are witnessing today. If NATO members are willing to continue to follow this oar and history teaches them nothing, then they will be hit on the forehead with the handle of this oar. And their bruises will get worse, he emphasized.
Answering the question whether it follows from this that Ukraine will never join NATO, Ryabkov emphasized: “I think that is excluded.“
The level of organization of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland did not meet the expectations of Washington, Ryabkov also stated.
Commenting on the results of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, where US Vice President Kamala Harris stayed only one day, the deputy minister noted that this US approach reflects exactly what Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov constantly speak“.
„The meeting in Switzerland is a family photo. It was important to line up on the podium and take pictures because the line-up was much more limited in number and the level was not up to expectations. to the organizers and the Americans”, said the deputy minister.
The conference on Ukraine was held on June 15-16 in Burgenstock, Switzerland, at the initiative of the Ukrainian side. The forum's final communiqué was not signed by Armenia, Bahrain, Brazil, the Vatican, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and South Africa. Russia was not invited to Burgenstock. The delegations of most UN members were also absent.