The Deep Cause of the East – West Divide – An Extract by Irina Martin
Starting from 2008 Bucharest Summit the West repeatedly talked about removing Ukraine from the Russian sphere of influence and incorporating it into the West by offering Ukraine an alternative in a way of joining NATO and the EU. In response to the Bucharest Summit Declaration where it was stated that “NATO welcomes Ukraine’s and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO” and it was “agreed today that these countries will become members of NATO” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said, “Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance is a huge strategic mistake which would have most serious consequences for pan-European security”. 19 Vladimir Putin reiterated the message: “Georgia and Ukraine becoming part of NATO is a “direct threat” to Russia.” This statement eventually manifested itself in August 2008 in a 6-day Russian-Georgia war which “made it evident that Putin would never tolerate Georgia and Ukraine becoming members of NATO.” 18
