Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it would be unacceptable if Ukraine joined NATO. The longtime leader warned that NATO missiles would be able to reach key Russian targets in just seven minutes if Ukraine joined the organization
The longtime leader claimed that Ukraine's admittance to the organization would give NATO access to missiles that need just seven minutes to reach Moscow and other points of interest in Russia, the Associated Press reported. He also said that his concern would be similar to a situation where Russian missiles were stationed in Mexico or Canada, allowing them to reach the U.S. in a much shorter amount of time if deployed.
Both Russia and the U.S. have sought to moderate expectations about Wednesday's summit in Geneva, ruling out any breakthroughs amid the worst tensions between the two powers since Soviet times, especially after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, accusations of Russian interference with U.S. elections and hacking attacks, as well as other strains.
"Ukraine fears that agreements between Biden and Putin could turn it into a peripheral country," said Vadim Karasev, an independent Kyiv-based political analyst. Earlier this year, Russia bolstered its forces near Ukraine and warned Kyiv that it could intervene militarily if Ukrainian authorities try to retake the rebel-controlled east. Moscow has since pulled back at least some of its troops, but Ukrainian officials say Russia has kept a massive contingent close to the border.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis argued that Russia seeks"to reestablish control of internal, foreign and security policies of the states in Central and Eastern Europe" that it considers part of its"privileged sphere of interests."
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