Ukraine’s accession to NATO could trigger World War III, Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Alexander Venediktov warned Thursday.
and interview Venediktov told Russian state news agency TASS that NATO itself was fully aware of the consequences of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Venediktov argued that Ukraine’s application for early NATO membership was “rather a propaganda move”. “Kyiv is fully aware that such a step would mean a sure escalation to World War III.”
“Apparently, they hope to create information noise and draw attention to themselves again,” Venediktov said.
“However, given that many members of the Kyiv government are detached from reality, I wouldn’t be surprised if some really expected their country to join NATO.
Venediktov’s comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced earlier this month that his country had applied for priority membership to join NATO.
“We are de facto allies. This has already been achieved. In effect, we have already completed the path to NATO. We are,” Zelenskyy said in a Telegram app video announcing the move.
His application came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated the annexation of four partially occupied regions of Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson).
The West is a ‘direct party to the conflict’
Venediktov reiterated on Thursday a position that has been continually pushed by Russia: Western powers are directly involved in the conflict thanks to the support they provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“We are also aware that despite their statements that they were not involved in the events in Ukraine, the actual actions taken by Westerners show that they are direct parties to the conflict,” Ve said. Nediktov said.
Ukraine’s NATO membership ‘will automatically give Western involvement’ [in the conflict] A new quality, Article 5 will come into force,” he said, adding that NATO members understand the “suicidal nature” of doing so.
On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged donors to provide more financial aid to help the Ukrainian government survive as the war with Russia continues.
At the 2nd Aid to Ukraine Ministerial Roundtable in Washington, D.C., IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georieva said the Ukrainian government needs $3 billion to $4 billion a month in financial aid to keep it from collapsing. said it is.
Yellen also called on financial donors to “continue” to provide more money to the war-torn country, noting that the Biden administration will continue to provide financial support to Ukraine through 2023.
On Monday, President Joe Biden promised Zelensky that Washington would supply Ukraine with advanced air defense systems so it could defend itself against Russian attacks.
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Katabella Roberts is a news writer for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on US, world and business news.