Russia’s Permanent Representative to the EU Chizhov: Moscow is not against EU enlargement, it does not pose risks
Vladimir Chizhov. Photo: Ilya Pitalev / RIA Novosti
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union (EU) Vladimir Chizhov called NATO an instrument of the last XX century, writes TASS.
He recalled that now people live in the XXI century, and Moscow is not against the expansion of the EU, since it does not pose immediate risks to the national security of the Russian Federation. “While NATO expansion represents,” Chizhov said.
In addition, answering the question about Russia’s reaction to Ukraine’s possible accession to the European Union, the diplomat noted that such a probability can be discussed only when the current state of affairs in this country normalizes. According to Chizhov, Ukraine is in a deep crisis, and in what form it will come out of this crisis is still unknown.
“At present, it is difficult for me to imagine that the EU will accept Ukraine in the state it is in,” he said.
Earlier, Chizhov said that the possible participation of the European Union in Russia’s negotiations with the United States and NATO would not have added value. The diplomat clarified that the EU is not a military bloc, so the Russian side considers it appropriate to address NATO and the United States directly.
