20 May 2022 12:49

NATO sticks to double-standard policy, Ukraine has to seek other options - Zelensky's chief of staff at Chatham House

KYIV. May 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) - NATO sticks to the double-standard policy, creating an illusion of open doors for Ukraine and other countries, so Ukraine has to seek other options, chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak told Chatham House analytical center members.

"These days NATO is the only institution capable of putting up a solid security umbrella over the heads of its members. Yet I have to say that it sticks to the double-standard policy because of the national egoism of certain states. The alliance creates an illusion of open doors for Ukraine and widely opens its doors to other countries. We have to search for other options under these circumstances, to search together with our partners," Yermak said.

Ukraine does not see an alternative to membership in the European Union, he said.

"We view any 'substitute' proposals we have heard about lately as unacceptable by definition. For us, integration with the European Union is not just a method of modernization and reform of the state and an increase of its GDP but also a factor of the provision of our security," Yermak said.

Obviously, present-day Ukraine does not see Russia as one of its guarantors, Yermak said. "We have an extremely negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum. We are observing attempts of certain great nations to make peace between Ukraine and Russia on terms of the Kremlin. Under these circumstances, we should insist that the future guarantees be legally binding and ratified by all parties. Obviously, we do not see Russia among these guarantors," he said.