Kremlin spokesman confirms Putin is “closely monitoring” the situation regarding Ukraine’s possible future integration into the EU
For Russia, the possible accession of Ukraine to the European Union is of the utmost importance. This has just been acknowledged by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov during a meeting with the press as part of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Russian President Vladimir Putin is closely monitoring the situation regarding Ukraine’s possible future integration into the EU.
“This is still on another plane, not military, although of course it is something that requires our utmost attention,” Peskov said. In his words, “we all know that discussions have intensified in Europe about strengthening the defense component of the European Union: army, defense and security.”
“Several transformations are taking place that we are of course watching closely,” the Russian presidential spokesman added. Shortly before that, the European Commission had recommended granting Ukraine candidate status for EU membership.
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was also present at the St. Petersburg economic forum, said yesterday in an interview with Russian television channel NTV that “if the EU gives Ukraine a roadmap to prepare for a member of the organization means only one thing, that Europe is once again ready to turn a blind eye to all its established criteria for candidates.” According to Lavrov, it also shows that “the EU is guided solely by geopolitical considerations” .
The head of Russian Diplomacy was thus responding to the question posed by NTV journalist Irada Zeinalova, who stated terminologically incorrectly: “Should the European Union grant Ukraine membership?” But before going serious about the answer, Lavrov took the opportunity to joke and say with a laugh that “I would of course give Ukraine integration into the membership. That’s for sure!”, playing with the same term used to designate the virile organ.
As early as December, when Russia and the United States unsuccessfully negotiated the “security guarantees” that Putin had demanded to de-escalate the crisis, Moscow pushed for its rejection of Ukraine’s integration into NATO, stressing that it was not there. mattered that it belongs to the European Union. This position has since evolved and thanks to the EU’s military aid to Kiev, the Kremlin is now suggesting that it does not favor Ukraine’s entry into the European club.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
