TORONTO (Reuters) – Estonian President Aral Kalis said on Thursday the only security Ukraine could get is North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership, which will take time but will come eventually. . At the same time, he indicated that NATO would not respond with nuclear weapons to Russia’s nuclear escalation.
“Ukraine wants to join NATO. As an Estonian, I can assure you that security through NATO membership is the only security,” Kalis said in a speech at the Munch Institute of International Affairs and Public Policy at the ‘University of Toronto. seriously consider further expansion of NATO and Ukraine’s application for membership,” he said.
“Ukraine’s accession to NATO will not happen the day after the war ends,” he said, referring to the rapid progress of the accession procedures of Sweden and Finland. Like Estonia, it would be more realistic to join the European Union first and then NATO.
“We are aware of concerns that Ukraine’s restoration of territorial integrity would mean Russia’s defeat and that this could lead to Russia’s destabilization or collapse,” he said. If Russia were to attack countries other than Ukraine, it would target not only European countries such as the Baltics, but also NATO member countries, and NATO would respond in that case, he said. But even if Russian President Vladimir Putin pushes the “nuclear button,” NATO will not respond with nuclear weapons.
President Kallis visited Canada to attend the Halifax International Security Forum held in Nova Scotia. He also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
