Ukraine-NATO Alliance Escalates Looming War Against Angry Russia

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By Athena Yenko | December 24, 2014 4:47 PM EST

Ukraine's parliament on Dec 23 scrapped the country's nonaligned status, making the country a potential member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The move angered Russia, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warning that Ukraine's application for membership in NATO would turn Ukraine into a potential military adversary for Russia.

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REUTERS/Digital Globe
A satellite image provided to Reuters by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) on August 28, 2014 and taken by DigitalGlobe on July 23, 2014 shows what is reported by SHAPE to be a wider overview, including the position of self-propelled guns. Well over 1,000 Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine, marking a significant escalation of Moscow's military involvement in the country, NATO said on Thursday. The alliance released satellite images it said showed Russian combat forces, armed with heavy weapons, engaged in military operations inside Ukrainian territory.

Scrapping the nonaligned status was passed by a 303-9 vote. Members of the parliament said Ukraine has come to that decision because of Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea in March and Russia's alleged support for separatist in Ukraine.
The elimination of the nonaligned status had Ukrainian legislators doing a standing ovation at the end of the voting process. "Finally, we corrected a mistake. 303 votes and Ukraine's nonaligned status is out. There is no alternative to Euro-Atlantic integration. Glory to Ukraine," President Petro Poroshenko said as reported by The Washington Post.

Russia reacted harshly with the announcement, saying there is no good that would come out of the decision. "This is counterproductive and only escalates confrontations and creates an illusion that by adopting such laws it might be possible to settle a profound domestic crisis in Ukraine," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
NATO's door is open to Ukraine if it so requests membership, fulfils the standards and follows all principles, a NATO spokesman told The Washington Post. An analyst on the other hand thinks that Ukraine's membership to NATO is still years away. The analyst said majority of the Western leaders believe that Ukraine's membership means war with Russia becomes inevitable.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law making Armenia a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union or EEU effective from Jan 2, 2015. With the agreement signed on Dec 22, 3 million people of Armenia will be added to the 170 million of consumers in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, RT reported.
Political experts were one in saying that the alliance between Russia and Armenia will be beneficial for both countries. Armenia is situated between Russia and Iran, making it a strategic bridge for commerce and trade between the two nations, Deputy Director of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies Tamara Guzenkova said.
With the Western sanctions in effect, Armenia can supply produce to Russia. "Armenia could make a very significant contribution to food security of the EEU and Russia in particular; as their production is absolutely clean, good quality, and natural products," Guzenkova highlighted.
On the other hand, Armenia will enjoy cheaper imports of Russian energy and oil products. The country will also have access to Russian weapons at domestic prices, Armenia Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov said.
a.yenko@IBTimes.com.au
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.com

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