MOSCOW: Russia has warned Ukraine against integration with NATO, saying Kiev’s previous attempts to move closer to the bloc had strained ties with Russia and caused problems between Moscow and the defense alliance.
“(Past attempts) led to a freezing of Russian-Ukrainian political contacts, a headache between NATO and Russia and … to a division in Ukrainian society,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
It warned that future economic ties between Moscow and Kiev “will largely depend on the actions Ukraine takes in its foreign policy”.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian parliament approved a series of joint military exercises with NATO on the country’s territory.
“This is a good opportunity to develop our armed forces,” a foreign news agency quoted acting Defense Minister Mikhail Koval as saying at a Verkhovna Rada session ahead of the 235-0 vote.
