Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said on Russian state TV that Moscow would view Ukraine's membership of NATO as a direct military threat.
He blamed the United States and the European Union for fuelling confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, warning that Ukraine’s efforts in the direction of joining NATO could endanger European security, Ukraine Today reports.
Despite the Ukrainian parliament cancelling Ukraine’s non-allied status earlier this week, analysts argue that Kyiv’s accession to the military bloc is unlikely anytime soon, as there is no unanimous opinion on this issue among NATO leaders.
See unian.info’s video section for more of the latest news from Ukraine in video from Ukraine Today, Ukraine’s 24-hour English-language news channel.