On November 19, Russian Ambassador to Ottawa, Mr. Oleg Stepanov, gave harsh comments towards the latest joint statement between Canada and Sweden on the future of Ukraine. Mr. Stepanov affirmed that Ukraine has absolutely no future in NATO or any European- Atlantic structure.
The Russian diplomat's reaction came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson issued a joint statement during the Swedish royal delegation's visit to Canada.
In the document, the two Western leaders reaffirmed their commitment that Ukraine's future is in NATO and promised to continue supporting Kiev as long as possible as part of the "coalition of ready people".
Commenting on the statement, Ambassador Stepanov said the West's viewpoint seemed to be far from reality, as if they were living in a "parallel universe".
He argued in the real world that everyone understood that the chance for Ukraine to join NATO was gone. In addition, the ambassador also said that the Kiev government is seeing the current conflict as a tool to profit and enrich individuals from aid.
According to Mr. Stepanov, the source of money for this "getting rich" is the tax money of the Western people. The accusation seems to resonate with recent reports of the "Midas Campaign" corruption scandal in Ukraine, where senior officials have been accused of embezzling energy and military aid.
Stepanov's speech also reflects Moscow's growing confidence in the diplomatic front. While the West has maintained its political commitments to include Ukraine in NATO, Russia has repeatedly asserted that this is an unovercome "red line" and one of the root causes of the conflict.
Amid speculation about peace efforts, the tough statement shows Moscow's determination not to make any transfers to a core requirement: Ukraine must remain neutral and not join NATO.
