Russia is closely monitoring the accelerated process of Ukraine's application to NATO, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said Ukraine's intention to join NATO was one of the main reasons for Russia to start its war.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said last Friday the country has officially applied to NATO for membership.
Peskov added that the reaction within NATO is different, some countries are in favor, while others are not, but all members speak about the rule of consensus.
Earlier, Zelensky announced that Ukraine is applying to join NATO on an accelerated basis. “It should be taken up at a different time,” said Jake Sullivan, the US President's national security assistant.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, commenting on Zelensky's statement, accepted the alliance's unchanged position on the right of each country to decide its own path and the "open door" policy, but emphasized that NATO will, for now, focus its efforts on the aid for Kyiv’s defense.
