Amid the de-escalation of tensions with Russia pulling back its troops from the border, all eyes are once again on the issue that is at the heart of what led to a war-like situation in the region- Ukraine has been pining for a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) membership for the past 14 years, like it's other former Soviet Union cousins- Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
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But for Russia, Ukraine is different as it has been a part of the Russian empire for the better part of its existence and it became independent only in 1991 when USSR itself broke up.
To understand if the reported de-escalation can bring peace, CNBC-TV18 spoke to Anil Trigunayat, Former Indian Ambassador to Russia, and Sudhir Devare, Former first Indian Ambassador to Ukraine.
Trigunayat said that the whole exercise was directed at showing that Russia needs to be heard. According to him, while President Vladimir Putin is a strong leader, it was naïve of Russia to ask for guarantees as the US has been known to walk out of treaties. He also explained that no one has an appetite for war at the moment and it will not benefit any side.
He said, "Putin being a strong leader wanted to convey a message that Russia wishes to be heard, and that his security concerns have to be respected. Frankly, when I see that the Russians are asking for written guarantees, I sometimes feel it is a bit naive, because no guarantees, no agreement can ever ensure the future, it never has. In the past, Americans have walked away from various treaties, and they can do so again."
Trigunayat added, "At the moment, no one has the appetite really for a war and the war from the Russian point of view is not really giving them any greater dividends, except having some kind of negotiability with the Europeans and the West. So I believe that for the time being, both sides need to save face."
Meanwhile, Devare mentioned that Ukraine has been applying for NATO membership since the past 14 years. He believes the Russians are clear on one front- that there can’t be any new NATO membership in the area.
Devare said, "Ukraine, of course continues to say that they would like to be a member of NATO. But there is no clear unanimity or approval from other members. Ukraine has been applying for NATO membership since 2008. It has been now 13-14 years since then; there has still not been an approval for granting the membership to Ukraine. Russians are, of course, very clear that they can't be any new memberships."
He added, "One very important development I would like to flag is the resolution passed by the Russian parliament Duma yesterday, in which members of the Duma have asked President Putin to recognize the eastern part- known as Donbass, Donetsk and Luhansk area, where there is insurgency going on since 2014."
Watch the video for the full interview.
