Former Russian President Says Ukraine Joining NATO Is a Declaration of War

Dmitry Medvedev. (Wikimedia Commons/men's

JAKARTA - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Ukraine's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be a declaration of war on Moscow, and only "prudence" on behalf of the alliance could prevent the planet from falling apart.

NATO leaders pledged to support Ukraine on an "irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership," at a summit last week, but left open the question of when that might happen.

Medvedev, who is also deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, told the Argumenty I Fakty news outlet that Ukraine's membership would be more than just a direct threat to Moscow's security.

"This would essentially be a declaration of war, albeit with a delay," he said in remarks published on Wednesday, reported by Reuters on July 17.

"The actions that Russia's opponents have been taking against us for years, expanding the alliance, have brought NATO to a point of no return," he continued.

Medvedev said Russia was not threatening NATO, but would respond to the alliance's attempts to advance its interests.

"The more such attempts, the tougher our answer will be," Medvedev said.

"Whether this will blow the entire planet to pieces depends entirely on the prudence of the (NATO) side," he said.

Medvedev also reiterated Moscow's statement that the appointment of Mark Rutte as NATO chief would not change the alliance's stance.

"For Russia, nothing will change, because important decisions are made not by NATO member states, but by one country, the United States," Medvedev said.

Medvedev, who was considered a pro-Western modernizer during his 2008-2012 presidency, has transformed himself into a highly aggressive figure, warning the US and its allies that their arming of Kyiv could lead to a "nuclear apocalypse."