Former Czech President Vaclav Klaus believes that the Ukrainian conflict started at the NATO summit in Bucharest on 4 April 2008, where the USA and the UK promised Kiev membership in the alliance. The text of the statement was published on the politician’s website.
“This war began on 4 April 2008. On that day, the NATO summit in Bucharest decided to admit Ukraine and Georgia to NATO. I was present at that event, sat there and already knew that what happened was a tragic mistake. I tried to oppose it,” Vaclav Klaus said.
He specified that the decision to admit Ukraine to the alliance was “sold” by the USA and the UK against the opinion of the majority of member states and despite the position of Germany and France.
At that time, he said, even the US ambassador to Moscow, William Burns, warned that such a step would be a crossing of all “red lines” for Russia. Klaus believes that Russia’s main goal was to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, not to “occupy” it. That is why Russia only introduced a limited contingent into Ukrainian territory, the former president explained.
“The entire Ukrainian conflict could and should have been avoided. We must recognise that we – the rest of the world – have failed,” Klaus concluded.
We will remind, earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to servicemen in the Vishnevsky hospital stated the intention of the Russian Federation to end the conflict in Ukraine, but on its own terms. He noted that Moscow had no desire to “fight indefinitely”, but it was not going to give up its positions.
