Medvedev warns against NATO membership for Ukraine, Georgia (how dare he)

[stepanstas]

Medvedev warns against NATO membership for Ukraine, Georgia

LONDON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev has warned that granting NATO membership to the former Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia could threaten European security, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

Medvedev's comments will step up pressure on the alliance not to allow the two states to join NATO's "membership action plan" at a summit in Bucharest next week, the newspaper said.

Vladimir Putin, the outgoing Russian president, is expected to attend the summit.

In a two-hour interview with the newspaper, Medvedev said, "We are not happy about the situation around Georgia and Ukraine. We consider that it is extremely troublesome for the existing structure of European security."

"No state can be pleased about having representatives of a military bloc to which it does not belong coming close to its borders," said Medvedev, in his first interview since winning the presidential elections on March 2.

He also suggested that most Ukrainians are opposed to joining the military alliance, as shown by opinion polls.

This is even more difficult to explain when the vast majority of citizens of Ukraine are categorically against joining NATO, while the government follows a different policy, he said.

Medvedev also conceded that it was in Russia's interests to rebuild relations with Britain, which have been at a post-cold war low since the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the London-based Kremlin critic, the newspaper said.

"We are open to the re-establishment of cooperation to the full extent," he said, adding that "time would show" whether progress could be made when he first meets British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, probably at the G8 summit in Japan in July.

Thats right, you heard it.

How dare this guy say that.

My hopes would be that NATO will not listed to such things, but we shall see what happens.

If NATO does listen to this **** then maybe its not worth it joining NATO.

Comments.

[andrewblow]

I agree with you entirely, but:

1. It is to be expected - he is walking in his master's footprints.
2. There is no chance of it happening right now, so he can safely say what he likes and simply put pressure on Ukraine to gain advantages elsewhere.

but I also ask - "what difference is Poland for instance.....than Ukraine.....for Russia" ?? I guess the answer is 'Russia has a soft under-belly called ....Ukraine - and such a move would have far greater theoretical implications than military ones.

[stepanstas]

They say it will be a few more years, what I sence somming, the US will want to use up Ukraine by either putting miscles or troops or some stuff there "just in case". Hopefully Ukraine does not fall for it.

Why is Georgia involved in this? You never even hear about it and I don't think Ukraine should be grouped with it.

I think Ukraine tried hard to get to this point and should be handled seperatly.

As to what you said, russia knows that it cannot do anything to Poland. It still has lots of ties with Ukraine. Every couple of weeks russia threatens Ukraine with gas or something else. russia can only keep that sort of hold on countries around it.

But do you listen to what this idiot says "We consider that it is extremely troublesome for the existing structure of European security." Why would it be troublesome? because you can't threaten us anymore?

"He also suggested that most Ukrainians are opposed to joining the military alliance, as shown by opinion polls." What does he have to do with Ukrainian polls, he should stick to screwing up his own country.

[Max_the_Highlander]

Russia is something non plus ultra... they invented the hilarious idea of "appointed president". This model is applied twice and it seems not the last time.

Well I guess these are just empty declarations. As to say people express opinions. Russia has not control over Ukraine, it resists because it doesn't want to loose known influence.

However, it is not the factor which determines situation. Joining the NATO will be solved on the all-ukrainian referendum and most likely the answer of people will be negative. Everyone knows that, all this loud is just about speculations.

However reading this short discusssion I was shoked some brutal folks think Ukraine is just "soft under-belly" of Russia... what a disgusting feeling of humor!

This offensive definition as usually used to middle east republics as Armenia and Azerbaijan which are really dependant ones but never to our freedom-loving Ukraine.

We all know Britain is complete political dependency of US but we don't use doubtful definitions as "52nd state", etc, etc... I just don't want to repeat that.

[bm-21Lemko]

Opinion polls can be fabricated and I believe Western Ukrainians want to join Nato.

I hope it happens, cheers.

[stepanstas]

bm-21Lemko,

some people can be paid off of course, but what many people fail to realize is that NATO does not mean Bush and people really don't want Bush in Ukraine.

There should now be campaining to promote NATO and explain what it means.