NATO will keep its leading role as the guarantor of security in the Euro-Atlantic region in the future, according to Oleksandr Paliy, an expert from the Institute of Foreign Policy of the Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy.
“I think that this organization will remain, [and] it will get
through all crisis periods, as it is important today,” the expert said
at a press conference on Friday at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
He said that currently the bloc fulfills not only the function of
defending territory, but also a number of other functions. In
particular, it fulfills the function of containment, by forming a
country’s image with a good investment climate. Paliy said that there
has been no military conflict on the territory of all 28 countries that
are members of the alliance during the period of its existence.
“I believe that Article 5 of the Washington agreement will continue to be valid,” Paliy said.
According to the expert, currently members of the alliance have no
desire or intention to dissolve this organization, and they want to see
its preservation.
Paliy said that currently Ukraine’s prospects of joining this bloc in the near future had dimmed.
The expert blamed Ukrainian politicians for this situation, as they
had made no effort to push for Euro-Atlantic integration. According to
him, NATO is the only way to provide Ukraine with security.
“I’m sure that after giving up nuclear weapons we are physically unable to protect ourselves,” he said.
