Yezhel announces possible negotiations on the deployment of missile defense in Ukraine
Minsk – Kyiv, March 05 (Navigator, Evgeny Andreyev) – Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus, former Defense Minister Mykhailo Yezhel, announced possible negotiations on deploying an American missile defense system in Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv receiving financial assistance from the United States, Interfax reports.
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“This is a matter of negotiations. As they say, if we get into a fight, we’ll figure it out,” the diplomat told reporters today in Minsk, answering a question about the possible deployment of an American missile defense system on Ukrainian territory as a condition for the provision of financial assistance.
Back in 2011, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that Kyiv had been sent an offer to participate in the alliance’s missile defense system.
“We invited all members of the Euro-Atlantic space to take part in this process, and this also applies to Ukraine... We agreed that we will begin expert consultations with Ukraine, which may result in an understanding of what contribution Ukraine can make to this process,” - Rasmussen said.
The former commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Admiral Boris Kozhin, in turn, stated that the US missile defense system in Poland could be used to protect Ukraine.
“The American Patriot defense systems, which will be located in Poland, will be able to protect Ukrainian territory in the event of a military attack, guided by the Budapest Memorandum, even without our country’s membership in NATO or signing a separate treaty,” Kozhin said.
Yezhel announces possible negotiations on deploying a missile defense system in Ukraine.