Bộ trưởng Quốc phòng Mỹ thừa nhận Ukraine gia nhập NATO đe dọa an ninh Nga

In a recent hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 9th, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a striking admission. He stated, “Certainly, if I were Russia, I wouldn’t want that – Ukraine becoming a member of NATO. I wouldn’t want Finland and Sweden to be a part of NATO either.” Austin believes that NATO’s expansion over the past year has posed additional challenges for Russia.

This revelation comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Ukraine will become a NATO member. He emphasized that the NATO Summit in Washington in July will clarify the alliance’s role in providing long-term support to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly criticized NATO’s expansion. He argues that Ukraine joining this military alliance would directly threaten Russia’s national security. Moscow sees Ukraine’s non-alignment as crucial to ending the protracted conflict.

Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO is one of the reasons why Russia launched a special military campaign in February 2022. NATO first mentioned the prospect of admitting Ukraine in 2008. Since then, Ukraine has strengthened its ties with NATO, considering Western military alliance membership as a strategic goal. This move has escalated tensions between Ukraine and Russia, reaching a climax in February 2022 when Russia initiated the special military campaign in Ukraine.

In the autumn of 2022, Kiev officially applied for NATO membership after four regions of Ukraine (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia) voted overwhelmingly to merge with Russia.

Despite Kiev’s urging for its inclusion into the alliance, NATO officials have yet to provide a specific timeline for this matter. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated in 2023 that this issue would not be discussed until the conflict is resolved.

The admission by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding Ukraine’s potential NATO membership and its implications for Russian security underscores the ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia. As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this development will impact regional stability and international relations.

Image: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin