Russia is calling on NATO to retract its 2008 promise to grant Ukraine membership, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating that a simple refusal to let Ukraine join is no longer sufficient. Zakharova emphasized that NATO must disavow the Bucharest promises of 2008, warning that failure to do so will continue to create tension on the European continent.
Instead, Zakharova suggests that Ukraine should return to its 1990 declaration of sovereignty, which stated that Ukraine would become a permanently neutral state, avoiding military blocs and remaining nuclear-free. She believes that neither NATO membership nor Western intervention can provide Ukraine with the security it needs.
It’s worth noting that NATO’s 2008 Bucharest summit declaration stated that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually join the alliance, but without providing a timeline or plan. NATO has since reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine’s membership, with the alliance’s Secretary General emphasizing that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is a matter of when, not if.
