Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the prospects for Ukraine's entry into NATO. RBC quotes his words.
Putin speaking in the Kremlin. RIA Novosti video screenshot
“They say that Ukraine should be accepted into NATO. It is written in the doctrinal documents of Ukraine that they want to return Crimea by military means.
Let's imagine that Ukraine —a member of NATO —begins operations in Crimea (I'm not talking about Donbass). This is the sovereign territory of Russia. Should we fight the NATO bloc? Has anyone thought? It seems not,” —
Putin said after meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The Russian president also said that the United States had ignored Russian concerns about security guarantees. According to him, the West's response did not «adequately take into account Russia's three key demands regarding the prevention of NATO expansion, the refusal to deploy strike weapons systems near Russian borders, and the return of the bloc's military infrastructure in Europe to the state of 1997.»
“Ignoring our concerns, the US and NATO refer to the right of states to freely choose how to ensure their security. But it's not just about giving someone the right to freely choose how to ensure their security. The second integral part says that no one should be allowed to strengthen,» the Russian leader said.