The current crisis in Ukraine may have closed the door on the country’s potential admission to NATO, the former head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service claimed on Wednesday.
Speaking to the Atlantic Council, former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers said the chance of Kiev being accepted into the bloc had already been slim, and now its chances may be even slimmer.
The American think tank, based in Washington, is funded by a number of NATO states, including the UK, as well as several US government departments.
According to Sawers, the West’s recent conflict with Russia over Ukraine’s future in NATO could, in fact, have narrowed the opportunity for the country’s admittance into the US-led bloc.
“The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO has never been very strong, and after this crisis is probably even less strong than it was before,” the former chief spook said, noting that Kiev’s geographical position and history as a member of the Soviet Union had already cast doubt on the nation’s chances of being accepted into the alliance.