Prystaiko said that Ukraine may refuse to join NATO: Zelensky and the Foreign Ministry reacted (Observer, Ukraine)
Ukrainian Ambassador to Britain Vadim Prystaiko said that Kiev may think about refusing to join the North Atlantic Alliance, the Observer reports. However, the country's Foreign Ministry noted that the diplomat's words were taken out of context, and the president's representative demanded an explanation from him.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Britain Vadim Prystaiko said that the Ukrainian state may think about refusing to join the North Atlantic Alliance. According to him, such an option is being considered if it will avoid a war with Russia.
The diplomat made the corresponding statement in an interview with journalist Stephen Nolan, BBC Radio 5 Live reports on Twitter. The statements were reacted to in the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
According to the quote, Prystaiko stressed that Ukraine's accession to NATO is provided for by the country's Constitution. However, diplomats are "flexible in finding the best solution to the situation." "We are trying to find the best way out. If this will prevent tension, then we will consider it," the ambassador said.
It should be noted that these words are only one of the remarks of the Ukrainian diplomat in a conversation with a journalist. Further in the conversation, Prystaiko objected that Ukraine could abandon the goal of becoming a member of the North Atlantic Alliance.
Reaction of the Office of the President and the Foreign Ministry
The press secretary of President Vladimir Zelensky, Sergei Nikiforov, said that the Ambassador of Ukraine to Britain should be given the opportunity to explain what he meant when he spoke about membership in the Alliance. He also recalled that Ukraine's aspirations to NATO and the EU are enshrined in the country's Constitution.
For his part, the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleg Nikolenko, in a comment to the Observer, noted that Priestayko's words were taken out of context.
"Of course, for the sake of peace and the preservation of the lives of our citizens, Ukraine is ready to go to any format of dialogues with countries and international organizations. At the same time, the Ambassador rightly noted in an interview that the prospect of NATO membership is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, but the country is currently not a member of this or another security alliance. Therefore, the key issue for us is the issue of security guarantees," the representative of the ministry explained.
Nikolenko stressed that the best such guarantee, of course, would be the immediate admission of our state into the Alliance. However, "threats to Ukraine exist here and now," so the search for an answer to the questions of guarantees becomes a fundamental urgent task.
"But no decision can be made contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine," he assured.
Marina Lisnichuk
