Medvedev: EU could become worse than NATO

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has said Moscow should reconsider its current ‘tolerant attitude’ towards Ukraine’s possible membership of the European Union. He argued that the bloc is shifting from an economic grouping to one with military ambitions.

‘It can transform quite quickly into a full-fledged military alliance that will be openly hostile to Russia and in some respects worse than NATO,’ he said.

He added that Russia should no longer tolerate efforts by neighbouring countries to join what he described as a ‘military-economic’ grouping.

At the same time, he said the United States was unlikely to leave NATO, a point also acknowledged by US President Donald Trump. However, Washington could take symbolic steps, such as reducing troop numbers in other member states. Existing divisions within NATO, he added, could lead to the European Union gradually assuming broader security functions.

(reuters, max)