Ukraine: Non-Nato Model is an option
Ukraine will not compromise on territorial integrity in negotiations with Russia, but is ready to discuss a model of non-NATO membership, said David Arakhamia, one of the Ukrainian negotiators.
Ukraine is seeking membership in the European Union and NATO, which Moscow opposes. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the possibility of Ukraine’s membership in NATO is evidence that the alliance is carrying out aggression against Russia.
“The response we get from NATO countries is that they are not even ready to negotiate our membership, at least not for the next ten years,” said negotiator Arakhamia.
“We are ready to negotiate a non-NATO model. For example, we can get direct guarantees from different countries, like USA, China, UK and maybe Germany and France. “We are ready to talk to a wide range of countries, but not just Russia.”
The Ukrainian and Russian delegations have already held two rounds of talks since Russia attacked neighboring Ukraine on February 24, and a third round of talks is expected tomorrow.
What is the non-NATO model?
The Non-NATO Model (MNNA) is a name given by the United States to the governments of close allied countries that have strategic relations with the U.S. Armed Forces but are not members of NATO.
Their status does not include a reciprocal defense agreement with the United States, but it does bring various military and financial advantages that are not available to non-NATO countries.