Russia has reaffirmed its stance on the potential EU membership of Ukraine, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stating on Tuesday that the decision is a “sovereign right” of every nation. He emphasized that EU membership does not imply military implications and that the integration process is a matter of economic cooperation, not a matter of external prescription.
Peskov’s comments were in stark contrast to Russia’s stance on security and defense alliances, with the Kremlin’s approach to these issues being well-known, he said. This suggests that Russia remains opposed to NATO expansion, a position reiterated by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia, who emphasized that the presence of foreign NATO troops in Ukraine, even under the EU flag, is unacceptable to Moscow.
Russia views a potential NATO membership of Ukraine as a direct threat to its security, a concern that was mentioned by President Vladimir Putin as a reason for the start of the conflict in February 2022. Putin has made the abandonment of Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations a condition for potential peace talks.
Ukraine had already submitted its bid for EU membership in February 2022, just days after the start of the war. Official membership talks between Brussels and Kiev began in June 2024. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to accelerating the process, stating that the EU will continue to support Ukraine and accelerate the work on its membership.