Putin warns that Ukraine's NATO membership would pose a threat to Russia's security

MADRID, 13 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned this Thursday that Ukraine's potential entry into the Atlantic Alliance would pose a threat to Russian national security, and recalled that this was precisely one of the reasons why Moscow started the war .

"Regarding Ukraine's NATO membership, we have repeatedly said that this poses a threat to Russia's security, obviously. And, in fact, one of the reasons for the special military operation (Moscow's term for war) is the threat of Ukraine joining NATO," he said.

In fact, the Russian president has assured that joining the Atlantic Alliance "will not increase the security of Ukraine", and in general it will cause "the world to be much more vulnerable and will lead to additional tension in the international arena", according to the TASS news agency.

Finally, regarding the constant supply of weapons by Western powers to Ukraine, Putin has acknowledged that the long-range missiles that have been promised to Kiev "cause damage", but that in no case will "nothing critical" happen in the areas of combat.

During the recent NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, the allied leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine to gain entry to the bloc, although they stressed that this process cannot be carried out while the country is immersed in the war against Russia.