NATO membership “only guarantee” of deterring Russia from future aggression - General Naiev

Ukraine’s Joint Forces Commander Lieutenant General Serhiy Niaev is convinced that the only guarantee of deterring Russia from future aggression is Ukraine's accession to NATO and the constant strengthening of its Armed Forces.

The statement came in an interview with RBC-Ukraine as Naieve spoke of his vision of ending the war and guaranteeing that the Russian Federation will not attack Ukraine again, Ukrinform reports.

"The Budapest Memorandum, signed in December 1994, showed that any international agreement can be violated. Therefore, I see Ukraine's accession to NATO, as well as the constant strengthening of its Armed Forces, as the only guarantee of deterring Russian aggression in the future. And we must never forget the saying ‘If you want peace, prepare for war.’ In other words, only a strong and professional army is able to guarantee peace and tranquility to our country," said Naiev.

Speaking about how the war should end, the Commander of the United Forces noted that its end should involve the preservation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, as well as the creation of conditions to prevent future aggression on the part of the enemy.

"Personally, for me, the end of the war is about the aggressor state fulfilling the conditions contained in the "peace formula’ put forward by the president of Ukraine. I’m sure that the fulfillment of all 10 points reflected in the formula will provide an opportunity not for a temporary ceasefire, but for the creation of conditions, under which Russia won’t be able to implement its plans in the future," he said.

According to Naiev, in order to end the war, it is necessary to strengthen the international isolation of Russia. It is about economic pressure in the form of international sanctions, depriving the Russians of influential allies who would be able to provide them with military and economic assistance. "Only the unification of all the civilized nations of the world in the fight against the Russian aggressor will be able to stop the war in Ukraine," the commander of the Joint Forces emphasized.

According to his conviction, the war will end not only when the last Russian soldier leaves Ukrainian soil but when the enemy understands that people who seek to live in a free state can’t be defeated.

As reported, Russia’s death toll in Ukraine as of March 20 amounted to 165,610.