EU flag on Independence Square in KyivMOSCOW, Apr 2Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev commented on Ukraine's desire to join the European Union with words attributed to former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. «One historical tale from the recent past. Words attributed to V. S. Chernomyrdin. During the period when he was Ukraine, he was allegedly asked: “When will Ukraine join the EU?” He answered very quickly: “Right after Turkey.” “And when is Turkey?” he was asked. “Turkey? Never…,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel. He recalled that at first Ukraine really wanted to join the EU, then she begged to be accepted into NATO, and now she wants to join the EU again. “Our position is known to Ukrainians: if you have such a desire, join, it would be an honor to be offered,” Medvedev remarked.26 March, 16:00Medvedev: End of unipolar world, US no longer masters of planet Earth But, according to him, there is «one hitch» here: the experience of countries such as Montenegro and North Macedonia shows that the only way to join the European Union is through NATO , and Washington commands Brussels.
"So the question is: how to join the EU without membership in NATO? Without the consent of the senior partner and entry into the main … alliance. No answer. Today, it turns out, nothing", — concluded Medvedev.
In December 2014, Ukraine abandoned its non-bloc status, and in February 2019, it enshrined in the Constitution the course towards joining the EU and NATO. Now she has the status of an alliance partner with enhanced opportunities, but insisted on full membership. The United States and its partners did not rule out Kyiv's entry into the alliance, ignoring Russian demands for security guarantees in Europe. Since February 24, Russia has been conducting a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» According to the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops. By March 25, they completed the main tasks of the first stage — they significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.