“Ukraine has the right to ensure its security”

Ukraine has the right to restrict its security, but only if it ensures Russia’s security, Vladimir Putin said, commenting on the results of the NATO summit in Vilnius in an interview with VGTRK correspondent Pavel Zarubin.

“Any country has the right to choose the method of achieving its security that it considers correct for itself,” Meduza quoted excerpts from Putin’s interview. threats to another. Therefore, we proceed from the understanding that this principle, which has been repeatedly declared in various international documents, will be taken into account. And Ukraine, of course, has the right to ensure its security.”

In February last year, when explaining the reasons for the start of the so-called special military operation, Vladimir Putin mentioned Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO as one of these reasons. In an interview with a VGTRK correspondent, he stated this once again, but added that “he is not against such a discussion.”

“For us, there is nothing unusual in the fact that both NATO and participation in the Group of Seven were declared at the summit. We are not against a discussion of this kind. But I will repeat once again – under the mandatory condition of ensuring Russia’s security,” the Russian president said.

• On Wednesday, as a result of the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, the “Big Seven” countries adopted a statement on security guarantees for Ukraine. They include regular supplies of modern weapons to the Ukrainian troops, financial aid, and the creation of some forces that will be able to “protect Ukraine now and deter Russian aggression in the future.” However, neither guarantees nor approximate terms regarding Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO were announced.