The deployment of the American contingent in Ukraine is impossible, since it is contrary to the constitution, Ukrainian political scientist Kost Bondarenko told RIA Novosti.
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin expressed the opinion that Ukraine should deploy a US military contingent on its territory, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should discuss this issue at a meeting with his American counterpart Joe Biden on August 31.
“The fact is that for a start, it would be useful for Klimkin to read the constitution of Ukraine, which prohibits the deployment of military bases of other states in the country,” the expert said.
He also expressed doubt that this issue is unlikely to be considered at the highest level on August 31.
“Therefore, this is nothing more than a political maneuver on the part of Klimkin,” Bondarenko said.
According to him, despite the ban on the constitution during the presidency of Petro Poroshenko, it was decided to hold regular exercises at the Yavoriv training ground in the Lviv region with the involvement of foreign troops, including the United States.
“The past government, including Klimkin, has yet to answer before the tribunal for agreeing, contrary to the constitution, to the deployment of an American contingent at the Yavoriv training ground under the guise of joint endless exercises,” he added.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in December 2014 amended two laws, abandoning the non-aligned status of the state. In February 2019, the Ukrainian parliament adopted amendments to the constitution, securing the country’s course towards the EU and NATO. Ukraine has become the sixth state to receive NATO Enhanced Partner status. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier that in order to join the alliance, Ukraine will need to achieve a number of criteria, the implementation of which will take a lot of time. Experts believe that Kiev will not be able to apply for NATO membership in the next 20 years.