In an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a correspondent for the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine has the right to ensure its security as long as it does not negatively affect Russia’s security at the Vilnius NATO summit .
Putin said he believes every country should have the right to ensure its security “however it sees fit”.
“There is only one limitation. […] A country that ensures its security should not pose a threat to another country. Therefore, it is our understanding that this principle, which has been clarified in many international documents, is taken into account. But Ukraine, of course, has the right to ensure its security […] For us, there is nothing extraordinary about what has just been declared by NATO and the G7. We are not against this type of discussion. But I’ll repeat myself again – with the necessary premise that Russia’s security is guaranteed,” Putin said.
Ukraine’s possible membership of NATO poses “a threat to Russia’s security,” Putin said, noting that the Russian authorities had “repeatedly spoken about it.”
“One of the reasons for the special military operation is the threat of Ukraine joining NATO. I am sure that this will not increase Ukraine’s security, but will make the world much more vulnerable and lead to further tensions on the international stage. So I don’t see anything good about it. “Our position has been known and formulated for a long time,” said the Russian President.