KIEV, Dec 7: The Russia's defence minister said on Thursday that it was Ukraine’s sovereign right to join Nato, but warned that the ex-Soviet republic’s membership in the alliance would strain relations with Moscow.
Russia has made no secret that it strongly opposes Ukraine’s plan to join Nato.
“Regardless of whether we want this or not, it will have an inevitable impact one way or another on our relations, particularly on cooperation in the military-industrial sector and some other spheres,” Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Anatoliy Hrytsenko.
After coming to power in 2004, Western-leaning President Viktor Yushchenko made Nato membership a priority. But this year, the more pro-Russian Premier Viktor Yanukovych put the bid on hold and pledged to mend relations with Russia.
“It is the business of the Ukrainian people, of the Ukrainian political elite to define the most effective form of their security,” Ivanov said.
Russia is Ukraine's biggest trade partner, and it is heavily dependent on Moscow for natural gas supplies. A dispute over gas prices earlier this year caused Moscow to temporarily cut off supplies to Ukraine, a shutdown that was also felt in western Europe, which receives much of its Russian gas via Ukrainian pipelines.
Since Yushchenko came to power, Russia and Ukraine have also sparred over issues including the presence of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, whose home port is a Ukrainian city.
Hrytsenko said on Thursday that Russia agreed to a Ukrainian request to stop subleasing Ukrainian lighthouses and expressed hope that all disputes over Russia's fleet in Sevastopol would be resolved.
Ivanov, who arrived in Kiev on Wednesday for a two-day visit, met later with Yushchenko later to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit. Putin plans to travel to Kiev on Dec 22.
During the meeting, Yushchenko expressed hope that Putin's visit would “strengthen cooperation in different spheres, particularly in the defense and security sphere,” noting that the presidents are to sign an agreement on defense and security cooperation.—AP
