GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2022) Russia needs firm legal guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia will never become NATO members, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday.
"We emphasize that it is absolutely imperative for us to make sure that Ukraine never becomes a NATO member. We would want NATO at the upcoming Madrid summit to withdraw the formula adopted by the 2008 Bucharest summit and replace it with the following: 'Ukraine and Georgia will never become members of the North Atlantic Alliance'," Ryabkov said following security guarantee talks with the US in Geneva.
The diplomat added that Moscow was getting tired of empty talk, half-promises and misinterpretation that often happened during negotiations behind closed doors.
"We don't trust the other side. We need rock-solid, legally significant guarantees, not promises, but guarantees, with the words 'must,' 'must never become NATO members.' This is a matter of Russia's national security," he stressed.
