NATO flag during a rally on Independence Square in KievBERLIN, Feb. 2 Countries eligible free to choose which alliances to join, but the admission of Ukraine to NATO is not on the agenda, said German government spokesman Steffen Hebeshtreit, commenting on the words of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The day before, Putin at a press conference after talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recalled that Ukrainian authorities are pursuing the goal of returning Crimea, «including by military means.» In this regard, the Russian president asked the question: if Ukraine becomes a member of NATO and starts such military operations, «what are we going to fight with the NATO bloc?» He added that it «looks like» no one had thought about it. In general, each state has the right to ask for membership in a defensive alliance, each (state) is free to do so and the respective alliance is free to act in this regard.The Federal Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) answered a similar question ten days ago that at the moment the admission of Ukraine is not worth on the agenda,» Hebestreit said at a briefing on Wednesday in response to a request to voice Berlin's position after Putin's statements. Answering a clarifying question whether it is possible for Ukraine to join NATO according to the «French formula» — political, but not military membership, — Hebestreit noted that the answer to this question «implies as a condition that admission (to NATO) takes place, but as I just quoted, the admission of Ukraine to NATO is not on the agenda.»
Zelensky asked three questions on Ukraine's accession to NATO
