Ukraine could agree to non-NATO security guarantees – envoy
Kiev’s main goal at present is to obtain meaningful security guarantees, which are not necessarily tied to the country’s NATO membership, Ukraine’s newly-appointed ambassador to the UN Andrey Melnik has said. The diplomat made the remarks in an interview published by Germany’s Berliner Morgenpost on Friday.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the leadership in Kiev has consistently named accession to the US-led military bloc as one of its top priorities. Russia has, in turn, singled out the threat of NATO military infrastructure appearing on its Western border as one of the reasons it initiated its special operation against the neighboring nation.
“NATO membership remains on the table for Ukraine,” Melnik said. He went on to clarify that “nevertheless, the question of security guarantees as an interim solution is central to us.” The diplomat stressed that any such arrangements must go beyond mere political pledges akin to the ones given to Kiev under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Under the accord, Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees provided by the US, the UK and Russia.
The Ukrainian ambassador noted that “our partners must meticulously write down what military assistance they would rush to the rescue to defend Ukraine, should it be attacked by Russia again.” Melnik told the newspaper that both bilateral and multilateral agreements could be considered, as long as they are binding under international law.
“These could also be part of a potential large peace treaty with Russia,” the Ukrainian diplomat added.
He also brushed aside predictions that US President-elect Donald Trump could drastically reduce or terminate Washington’s aid to Kiev altogether. Melnik concurred with the Republican, however, that European NATO member states should come to the fore in terms of their own defense and military assistance to Ukraine. The ambassador expressed hope that the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party, Friedrich Merz, billed by many observers as the future chancellor, would heed Trump’s advice.
The Ukrainian diplomat insisted that European NATO member states are affluent enough, and can afford to spend a lot more on defense.
Speaking of Germany, where he served as Ukraine’s ambassador between 2014 and 2022, Melnik expressed indignation at the fact that funds allocated for defense aid to Kiev in the budget of the Federal Republic for next year had been slashed from eight to four billion euros. He also reiterated his country’s demands for German long-range Taurus missiles and expressed hope that Berlin’s new coalition government would “put military aid to Ukraine on a stable basis.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier ordered the dissolution of the federal parliament on Friday, following the collapse of the country’s ruling coalition, with a snap election scheduled for February 23.
During his time as Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Melnik repeatedly used undiplomatic language when speaking about the country’s leadership. The envoy infamously branded Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “offended liver sausage” over his unwillingness to travel to Kiev personally.
Speaking of Germany, where he served as Ukraine’s ambassador between 2014 and 2022, Melnik expressed indignation at the fact that funds allocated for defense aid to Kiev in the budget of the Federal Republic for next year had been slashed from eight to four billion euros. He also reiterated his country’s demands for German long-range Taurus missiles and expressed hope that Berlin’s new coalition government would “put military aid to Ukraine on a stable basis.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier ordered the dissolution of the federal parliament on Friday, following the collapse of the country’s ruling coalition, with a snap election scheduled for February 23.
During his time as Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Melnik repeatedly used undiplomatic language when speaking about the country’s leadership. The envoy infamously branded Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “offended liver sausage” over his unwillingness to travel to Kiev personally.
