Russia Won't Stop Costly War Even If Ukraine Drops NATO Membership

A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Moscow would not stop its military campaign in Ukraine even if Kyiv formally renounced its aspirations to join NATO, a statement that would certainly stiffen Ukraine’s defense of its territory and intensify attacks on fumbling Russian forces, Ronald Popeski reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: Former President Dmitry Medvedev

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, also said in a French television interview that Russia was prepared to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy subject to certain conditions.

Even before the February invasion, Moscow made clear that Ukrainian membership in NATO was unacceptable to it.

"Renouncing its participation in the North Atlantic alliance is now vital, but it is already insufficient in order to establish peace," Medvedev told LCI television in quotes reported by Russian news agencies. In short, Russia wants to control Ukraine and dictate its foreign policy.

Russia, he said, would continue the campaign until its goals had been achieved. Putin says he wants to "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and the West say this is a baseless pretext for a war of conquest.

They want Putin’s troops to leave Ukraine and answer for their war crimes for an unprovoked invasion. Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of talks after the invasion began, but they made no progress and there are few prospects for a resumption.

"This (talks) will depend on how events unfold. We were ready before to meet (Zelenskiy)," Medvedev said.

In his comments, he also said U.S. weapons already supplied to Ukraine -- like HIMARS multiple-rocket launchers - did not yet pose a substantial threat. But that could change, he said, if the US sends weapons that could hit targets at longer distances.

"It means that when this sort of missile flies 70 km, that is one thing," he said. "But when it's 300-400 km, that is another, now that would be a threat directly to the territory of the Russian Federation."

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