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According to Medvedev, Putin had hinted at this.
Former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that Moscow should “abandon its tolerant attitude” toward its neighbors joining the European Union, including Ukraine. He justified this by claiming that Brussels is “seriously considering creating a полноцен military component within the EU.”
“Until now, our rhetoric regarding EU membership has been restrained and calm toward all our neighbors, even toward ‘Bandera’s Ukraine.’ If you want — join. But now everything must change — the EU is no longer just an economic union,” Medvedev said.
He went on to claim that the EU could quickly transform into a “full-fledged military alliance hostile to Russia,” even “worse than NATO.” According to him, the purpose of such a union would be “to gain political capital and, of course, money by fueling anti-Russian hysteria.”
Medvedev also added that his position had been “confirmed in a careful manner” by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said this occurred during Putin’s meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow, where Putin allegedly hinted that “membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and membership in the European Union are incompatible.”
Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that Ukraine’s accession to the EU by 2027 is not feasible. According to her, peace and reforms must come first.
