Security policy NATO Stoltenberg: Ukraine’s path to military alliance is open, Russia will pay a “hard price” if it attacks

Abroad|Security policy

Military alliance Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that Russia would pay a “hard price” politically and economically if the country took aggressive action against Ukraine.

Mr Stoltenberg spoke in Brussels on Monday after meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olga Stefanišynan. At the same time, the Deputy Prime Ministers of the United States and Russia visited Geneva Wendy Shermanin and Sergei Ryabkov under negotiations In the wake of tensions over Ukraine.

According to Stoltenberg, the military alliance will not back down from its promise in 2008 that Ukraine could join NATO.

“We have made it very clear that we will never compromise on the fact that every country in Europe can choose its own path, also in terms of what kind of security arrangement it wants to belong to,” Stoltenberg said.

According to Stoltenberg, Ukraine’s membership depends on the country’s reforms and the decision to admit belongs to NATO alone.

“No one else has the right to say anything about it,” Stoltenberg said at its press conference.

Russia has demanded assurances from the United States and NATO that NATO will no longer expand beyond its borders. The demand was made at a time when Russia has moved tens of thousands of troops to the Ukrainian border and Russia is feared to be preparing for an attack.

In addition to the U.S.-Russia talks in Geneva, the parties will meet at a NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

According to Stoltenberg, NATO wants to listen to Russia’s concerns but also demands that Russia take into account the concerns of others arising from its own actions. Stoltenberg said that NATO maintains close ties with other non-NATO actors in addition to Ukraine: Georgia, Moldova, Finland, Sweden and the European Union.

President Sauli Niinistö and Stoltenberg discussed on the phone On the escalating situation in Russia and Ukraine last Friday. According to the Office of the President, the initiative for the call came from Stoltenberg.

During the call, Stoltenberg confirmed that NATO will continue to pursue an open door policy.

Last Friday, Stoltenberg said NATO is also preparing for the possibility that this week’s talks will collapse.