Putin does not know what to do about NATO in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the
Valdai Discussion Club, admitted that he has no idea what to do about the growing
ties between Ukraine and NATO. When asked about the presence of U.S. Secretary
of Defense Lloyd Austin arriving in Kyiv with USD 60 million in military aid
and how this rapproachment can be stopped, Putin told the journalist, “I’m
sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t know.”

Putin went on to say that there’s no way for Russia to
stop Ukraine’s joining NATO. Later in his response, Putin said that even if
there were a way to stop Ukraine’s formal entry into the bloc, there’s no way
to “prevent the de facto basing of NATO troops” there. “You can put anything in
there,” he said.

Furthermore, Putin claimed that there is no legal way
for the voters in the south and east of Ukraine to elect a leader who reflects
their vision, because, every time they do, the next day the president “starts
listening to the very vocal minority of nationalists”. Putin also assured that
the Russian government is doing everything it can to ease the situation.

James Hydzik: There’s an
American saying, “I ain’t swervin’, I’m reloadin’.” Reloading a gun in a moving
vehicle can be a frustrating experience, and Putin was obviously agitated by
the end of his answer. The collective Putin, as the Kremlin can be called, has
to reload its response to Ukraine and NATO in the light of a fear-mongering
picture painted in 2014 coming true: “Black American soldiers coming down
Khreshchatyk with guns”. In this case, though, it’s USD 60 million in
aid.  That the picture was brought to life by the Secretary of Defense
makes it all the more horrifying in their eyes. The Kremlin has recognized that
there is no way currently to stop the presence of NATO and its member states
from operating freely in Ukraine despite the lliberal use of blood and treasure
for seven years.

However, despite his obvious discomfort at the
question, Putin did state that the Russian government was doing everything it
can to ameliorate the consequences of Ukraine’s move toward NATO. This can be
tied to his other remark that there is no legal way for the (Russophile) people
of southern and eastern Ukraine to come to power. This can be interpreted that
asymmetric moves would be intensified. 

Also, even though the Kremlin seems to accept that
there will be a NATO presence of some sort in Ukraine, it does not mean that
Russia is abandoning its position, except at the “red line” level.