Russian state media on Monday published a statement from former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to reinforce Vladimir Putin's statement at the SCO summit in China that Ukraine's possible NATO membership became one of the main reasons for the war.
"Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich is absolutely right. Indeed, I purposefully worked towards bringing Ukraine closer to the European Union. Ultimately, I set the goal of Ukraine joining the European Union. However, the partners from the EU side sometimes behaved, to put it mildly, incorrectly during the negotiations. They did not show understanding of the economic situation in Ukraine. Frankly, they showed arrogance. But this process—Ukraine's accession to the EU—I controlled and pushed forward. But I was always a categorical and convinced opponent of Ukraine joining NATO. I always clearly and distinctly understood that this is a disaster for Ukraine. It is a road to nowhere. It is a direct path to civil war," Yanukovych stated.
The video of Yanukovych's address was published by RIA Novosti, and before this, he had not appeared in the media since July 2022. At that time, the former president of Ukraine urged Ukrainians "to make a choice—fight 'to the last Ukrainian' or try to preserve what is still left."
Yanukovych fled Ukraine to Russia in 2014 amid protests in Kyiv due to the government's suspension of preparations for signing an association agreement with the EU.