Kremlin: Ukraine has sovereign right to join EU, but NATO membership is another matter
Photo: Dmitry Peskov (Getty Images)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Ukraine has the sovereign right to decide whether to join the European Union, and Moscow does not intend to dictate to Kyiv how it should approach this issue. However, the position on NATO is different, Reuters reports.
In response to a question about Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary said, “This is the sovereign right of any country.”
"We are talking about integration and economic integration processes. And here, of course, no one can dictate anything to any country, and we are not going to do that," said Peskov.
However, Peskov added that Russia’s position on Ukraine’s membership in military alliances is different.
"There is a completely different position, of course, on security-related issues related to defense or military alliances," he said.
Ukrainians’ position
According to a KMIS survey, most Ukrainians would like to see the country join the EU and NATO. However, joining the defensive alliance is a higher priority.
According to the survey, 90% of Ukrainians want Ukraine to join the EU, and 84% want Ukraine to join NATO.
In the event of a referendum on joining the EU, 68% of all Ukrainians are ready to go to the polls and vote "yes." In the event of a referendum on NATO, 68% would also vote "yes." 9% and 10% would vote against joining the EU and NATO, respectively.
At the same time, more Ukrainians want Ukraine to join NATO first (46%) rather than the EU (22%).
