Ukrainian Foreign Ministry: Let's force the Kremlin to come to terms with leaving for NATO and make money from the Russians
“Countering Russian aggression” is the main priority of Ukrainian foreign policy for the next year. In the long term, Kyiv wants to convince Russia of the inevitability of Ukraine’s departure to NATO, and then get the opportunity to make money on the Russian market and through the transit of Russian resources.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba stated this at a briefing in Kyiv, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Priority No. 1 is, of course, countering Russian aggression and strengthening our security. This theme permeates all our activities.
Without a strategy in relations with Russia, we cannot guarantee our security and build prospects for the development of our economy. Even, for example, in matters of transit through Russia or in the issue of restrictions that Russia may impose regarding the access of Ukrainian goods to its market. We need to learn to live with the Russia that we have at our side. To do this, you need to look at it very soberly, with a cold mind.
The need for this strategy is understood not only in the Foreign Ministry. I am talking with colleagues in the government, in the National Security and Defense Council. We are talking about this. There are certain developments. The National Institute for Strategic Studies recently published a strategic document regarding building relations with the Russian Federation.
Personally, I believe that the short-term goal in our relations with the Russian Federation is to reach the principle of peaceful coexistence. Now there is a war between Russia and Ukraine. It is a fact. We must stop the war, return peace to Ukraine, restore our territorial integrity.
But we understand that Russia will not change because of this. Russia's strategic goals regarding Ukraine will remain unchanged. And these are destructive goals.
Adopting the principle of peaceful coexistence would be in the interests of Ukraine. This is already a long-term goal. Then, when Russia realizes the inevitability of Ukrainian independence, Ukrainian sovereignty, Ukrainian existence in part of the Western world, a member of NATO and the EU, we can move on to the principle of coexistence.
That is, we will... well, just tolerate each other. But then it will be possible to look further and see what we can achieve with the Russian Federation. We cannot run away from geography,” the minister said.
He also named the promotion of the “Crimean Platform” among the priorities of Ukrainian foreign policy for the next year.
“I am satisfied with the reaction of the Russian Federation to the “Crimean Platform” - it is very nervous, they are trying in every possible way to discredit this idea. I get a lot of information about this from different channels. They are nervous and are making every effort to discredit this initiative. We must understand that next year the “Crimean Platform” will be one of the epicenters of Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine. But we know that the truth is on our side, we know that we are doing the right, fair thing. We have enough allies on our side to achieve success in this area,” assures the Ukrainian minister.
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