Today at 14:45
Ukraine should become a member of the system of both European and Euro-Atlantic security. Apart from the Ukrainian army, no one has such experience of confronting Russia, not only on the battlefield, but also with hybrid tools of war. This was announced today, on April 23, on the air of the FREEDOM TV channel by an expert on international security of the Foundation for Democratic Initiatives named after. Ilka Kucheriva Taras Zhovtenko.
“Even at this stage of the war, it is an axiom for the West that without Ukraine there can be no European security, in the effective sense of the word. In one form or another, Ukraine must become a member of European and Euro-Atlantic security. If we talk about a specific form, this is the official entry of Ukraine into the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance,” he said.
The expert noted that the EU has repeatedly spoken about the creation of a separate army, which would be an additional guarantor of security on the European continent, except for the Alliance.
“One way or another, the talks came to naught, because any EU initiatives were too weak. On paper, it always looks good, but when it comes to practice, there are many questions. Ukraine’s membership in the European Union is a powerful incentive for European countries and initiatives to strengthen the European component of the Euro-Atlantic security system,” he said.
The speaker stressed that today NATO primarily ensures the security of the eastern flank, which borders on Russia.
“Except for Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, no one has such experience of confronting this opponent on the battlefield. For the Alliance, we are a colossal source of experience in countering the hybrid tools that Russia uses not only against us, but also against the West,” he emphasized.
Zhovtenko also commented on fears that Ukraine could potentially remain in the “grey zone” of NATO and the EU.
“I think that the longer the war lasts, the less such fears will be. There must be active Ukrainian diplomacy here, we must explain to Western partners that the “gray zone” is the territory where Russia can and does whatever it wants, primarily by creating hotbeds of tension and instability that are directed against the North Atlantic Alliance. That is, if the territory of Ukraine is left in this state, it will be a permanent hotbed of tension aimed at destabilizing NATO,” Taras Zhovtenko summed up.
