"I'm convinced that even the talk of Ukraine's NATO choice directly harms pan-European security and is intended to undermine its principal foundations," he said.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) passed a bill to drop the country's non-aligned status, confirming Kiev's intention to join NATO.
“We should speak not of expanding blocs inherited from the Cold War, but of creating a system in Europe under which every state would feel comfortable, safe and could to concentrate on positive agenda,” the diplomat said.
Ukraine's non-aligned status was established by a 2010 law signed by then-president Viktor Yanukovych and stipulating that Ukraine would not seek membership of military-political alliances.
However, the new Kiev authorities have renewed the drive toward NATO membership since the outbreak of an armed conflict in the country's southeast, a conflict they have blamed on a military intervention by Russia.
In August, the Ukrainian government said the non-aligned status did not guarantee the country’s security and reaffirmed its plans to join the 28-member military bloc.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly warned Kiev that a neutral status was in the best interests of the Ukrainian people, their neighbors and Europe.
Ukraine's NATO bid has prompted a mixed reaction from the alliance, with majority of NATO officials saying the country was not ready to join the bloc, and urging Kiev to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing NATO membership.
