Russia to pick convenient moment for next strike if Ukraine doesn't join NATO, EU - expert Fried

Daniel Fried, the former U.S. State Department Coordinator for Sanctions Policy, said this in an interview with Antin Borkovskyi, host of the Studio West program on Espreso TV.

“We, the collective West, must prepare to strengthen Ukraine's security so that after this phase of the war is over, Russia will not be tempted to start aggression again. Now, to join the European Union, Ukraine must meet the EU's requirements. Joining NATO requires an agreement on how the Alliance can help Ukraine defend itself. We in the West must realize that stability in Europe depends on Ukraine becoming part of our community. If this does not happen, Russia will choose a convenient moment to strike again,” he said.

Fried believes that Ukraine should not remain in the gray zone - the zone of danger on the other side of the front line, outside the borders of NATO and the European Union. Gray zones are a green light for Putin's further aggression.

“In the 1990s, NATO decided to accept new members from among the former Warsaw Pact satellite states that had regained their independence. This decision was made because there was an understanding that the gray zone is not a zone of stability, but an eternal temptation for Russian aggression. Of course, this will require efforts from Ukrainians themselves. There is no automatic right to EU membership - Ukraine must meet its requirements. But I believe that after the war, the Ukrainian people will insist on transformations that will be worthy of their enormous sacrifices. They will want to build a European Ukraine, and I am confident that Ukrainians will be able to achieve this. We must help Ukraine achieve this goal. Its future must be linked to NATO and the European Union. As for the future of Russia, it should depend on the choice of the Russian people,” the American expert said.

A second forum dedicated to the Peace Formula may be held this year. According to Fried, it is quite possible that Ukraine will make even more progress there than at the peace summit in Switzerland.

“Progress can be defined as the unification of a significant number of countries to support the maximum possible number of agreed Ukrainian positions. I don't know what an agreement to end the war will look like. It's not for me to talk about it, since I am an American. It is up to Ukrainians to decide what the terms will be. I don't know how this war will end, but it will definitely not end with the Russian flag fluttering over Kyiv. Putin has already missed this moment,” he summarized.

• On September 13, Putin said that allowing Western long-range weapons to strike Russian territory “will change the nature of the conflict” and mean direct participation of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine.