NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 5 (RIA Novosti) – The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO would damage security in central Europe and create deeper East-West tensions than during the Cold War, analyst Dmitry Babich told RIA Novosti.
“NATO membership for Ukraine would create a dangerous situation in the middle of Europe which will be worse than the Cold War. NATO would take into its fold a country with not just a territorial problem, but a country in a state of virtual conflict,” Babich said.
“This should be the main issue, debated in Wales. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the participants at the summit will discuss something that they invented: the alleged Russian invasion of Ukraine, for which there is no evidence,” Babich added.
NATO leaders gathered in Wales on Thursday for two days of talks mainly focused on situation in Ukraine.
Last week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk introduced legislation to the country’s parliament to drop its “non-aligned bloc” status, renewing its path to becoming a member of NATO.
However, NATO regulations do not allow countries, involved in territorial disputes, to become members. This currently is the case with Ukraine, due to its refusal to acknowledge Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
