Putin warns: Ukraine’s membership in NATO will create threat to Russia’s security

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Ukraine’s membership in NATO will pose a threat to Russia’s security and was one of the reasons for Moscow to launch its invasion.

“As for Ukraine's membership in NATO, we have repeatedly said that this poses a threat to Russia's security, obviously,” Putin said according to state news agency TASS. He added: “And, in fact, one of the reasons for the special military operation [Russian invasion of Ukraine] is the threat of Ukraine joining NATO.”

The Russian president claimed that NATO membership would not increase the security of Ukraine itself, rather, it would make the world much more at risk: “I am sure that this [Ukraine joining NATO] will not increase the security of Ukraine itself, and in general will make the world much more vulnerable and lead to additional tension in the international arena.”

Putin’s statements come after the NATO summit in Vilnius were the inclusion of Ukraine in NATO was discussed at length and assurances were made to Kyiv that its membership would be formalized once the war initiated by Russia's invasion concludes. Many NATO members in Eastern Europe have expressed strong support for Ukraine's position, asserting that incorporating Kyiv into the alliance's collective security framework is the most effective strategy to deter Russia from launching another war.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed on Wednesday that Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member: “We have agreed that Ukraine's future is in NATO. We reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member. We actually have agreed on concrete tools, political tools, practical tools to help Ukraine move towards membership.”

However, for Russia, the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO is a significant threat to its national security and regional influence. The underlying concerns and reasons behind this viewpoint can be traced back to historical, geopolitical, and strategic factors. Firstly, Ukraine holds a vital geostrategic position on Russia's western border, providing a buffer zone between Russia and NATO member states. The potential integration of Ukraine into NATO would effectively bring the alliance's military infrastructure closer to Russia, thereby diminishing its defensive depth and increasing the perceived encirclement.

Additionally, Ukraine's alignment with NATO would challenge Russia's aspirations for regional dominance and limit its ability to exert influence over its neighboring countries. Moscow fears that a NATO presence in Ukraine would undermine Russia's strategic interests, erode its sphere of influence, and potentially result in the establishment of hostile military bases near its borders.

Moreover, Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, following the Maidan revolution in Ukraine, aimed to prevent the loss of its strategic naval base in Sevastopol and maintain control over a predominantly pro-Russian region. Overall, Russia's perception of a NATO expansion into Ukraine encompasses a complex web of geopolitical, strategic, and historical factors that amplify its concerns and contribute to its perception of such a move as a direct threat.

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