• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

NATO Financing of Ukrainian Military to Deepen Crisis: Diplomat

Sputnik News

11:35 31.12.2014(updated 12:18 31.12.2014)

NATO's financial aid to Kiev will hinder the process of peaceful settlement in the eastern Ukraine, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Nebenzya.

MOSCOW, December 31 (Sputnik) – The North-Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) financial assistance aimed at building up Ukraine's military capabilities will worsen the current economic crisis and harm the process of peaceful reconciliation in the country, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Nebenzya said.

NATO has endorsed new funding for Ukraine's defense in the form of 'trust funds' to help with logistics and cyberdefense, as well as command and control.

'If as a result of NATO's financial assistance Kiev moves to increase military expenditures, it will only deepen the economic crisis in Ukraine and will, most certainly, hinder the process of peaceful settlement in the country,' Nebenzya said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

The diplomat stressed that any financial assistance to Kiev must focus on large-scale constitutional, social and economic reforms in Ukraine.

Tensions have flared between the US-led NATO and Moscow over the alliance's growing military presence near Russia's western border in Eastern Europe. The military bloc ceased all practical cooperation with Moscow after Crimea's reunification with Russia, limiting contact to top-level officials.

Ukraine's non-aligned status, stipulating that the country would not seek membership of military-political alliances, was established in a 2010 law signed by then-President Viktor Yanukovych.

In August, the Ukrainian government said the non-aligned status did not guarantee the country's security and reaffirmed its plans to join the 28-member military bloc. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed into law Monday a bill renouncing the country's non-aligned status.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly warned Kiev that a neutral status was in the best interests of the Ukrainian people, their neighbors and Europe.

Ukraine's big to join NATO has prompted mixed reactions from the alliance, with majority of NATO officials saying the country was not ready to join the bloc, urging Kiev to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing NATO membership.

© Sputnik