Ukraine Chooses NATO Over Moscow
Ukraine Chooses NATO Over Moscow
Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces continue to fight in eastern Ukraine. Now the Ukrainian Parliament has moved one step closer to the Western world and NATO. It voted on Tuesday, 23rd December 2014 to take the steps towards joining NATO.
Non Alignment No More
The Ukraine Parliament has voted in favour of rescinding the policy of non alignment and taken its first steps towards choosing NATO. The Parliament voted 303 to 8 for rescinding the policy of nonalignment and pursuing strategic as well as military ties with the Western world. Former President Viktor F. Yanukovych had provided the impetus for the Parliament to adopt the policy in the year 2010.The law passed by the Ukraine Parliament at that point in time had defined nonalignment as non-participation of Ukraine in what was termed as “military-political alliances.”
Deepening Ties With NATO
The newly revised law which came into force following the resolution of the Ukraine Parliament was the priority of President Petro O. Poroshenko. This law requires Ukraine to “deepen cooperation with NATO in order to achieve the criteria required for membership in this organization,” as per media reports. Whether Ukraine will join NATO remains less of a question now, even as Russia strongly opposed the move.
Russian Refusals
President Vladimir V. Putin’s personal spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, has been quoted by the BBC as saying, “We would like to hear a 100 percent guarantee that no one would think about Ukraine’s joining NATO.” Russia is deeply offended by the move and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov has sharply criticised the Ukrainian leadership over this saying, “This is counterproductive. It only pumps up confrontation, and creates the illusion that by passing such laws it is possible to settle a deep domestic crisis within Ukraine.”
Russia has also reiterated that Yanukovych’s ouster was unconstitutional adding that “A much more productive and sensible path is to start, at last, a dialogue with that part of their own people which has been completely ignored since the state coup was carried out. There is no other way. Only constitutional reform, with participation of all regions and political forces of Ukraine, can give a correct tone.” Russia has also called for a new federalised governmental system in the country, which leads to the expansion of power of regional officials. Decentralisation is the mantra of the Poroshenko government. The Putin-Poroshenko dialogue is running in diametrically opposite directions as a result of this.
Minsk Meeting
Though Russia has opposed the NATO move, efforts were made to resume peace negotiations in Minsk, Belarus. Previous meetings in Minsk led to the signing of a formal truce yet there has been no lasting impact of this. Separatist leaders want autonomy. Poroshenko is unwilling to budge.
Moscow’s Military Doctrine: Rada on the Radar
Russian President Vladimir Putin has just signed a new military document following the Kiev Parliament Rada’s acceptance of rescinding non alignment. The doctrine named NATO expansion as a key external risk, according to the Kremlin on Friday, 26th December. While the previous Moscow military doctrine signed by the Russian President was also keen on identifying the NATO expansion as a top risk to Russia, stakes have risen sharply since then.
Frontline of Confrontation
Russia has charged the NATO has transformed Ukraine into a frontline of confrontation. The Kiev Parliament’s renunciation of the neutral status of Ukraine has clearly had an impact on Moscow. This could be a fresh start to the old Cold War. NATO has increased military presence in eastern Europe on charges that Russia orchestrated the pro-Russian rebellion in eastern Ukraine and threw out the Kremlin backed Yanukovych. Moscow has denied instigating the rebellion and is making efforts to find the solution. Meanwhile, NATO has declared all doors are open for Ukraine. "Should Ukraine decide to apply for NATO membership, NATO will assess its readiness to join the alliance in the same way as with any candidate. This is an issue between NATO and the individual countries aspiring to membership," a NATO official said.
Conclusion
Cold war in the post Soviet era could be brewing on account of the Ukraine crisis. Never before has there been such as dramatic confrontation between Russia and the Western world since then, as there is now. Ukraine’s steps towards NATO are provoking Moscow and possibly creating more hurdles in what is clearly a confrontation between the two Cold war adversaries, the West and Russia.
