According to the Russian president, Ukraine’s desire to enter into economic unions is a “sovereign decision” of the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday assured that Russia “has nothing against” Ukraine’s potential membership in the European Union, following the European Commission’s decision to recommend granting kyiv candidate status to the European Union.

During the plenary session of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin declared, “Nothing against us, joining the trade unions is their sovereign decision (…) it is their business, the business of the Ukrainian people” (Northwest).

“Ukraine will become a semi-colony”

Russia, which has been attacking Ukraine since February 24, sees Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO as too dim, which Moscow sees as a threat to its security, but Vladimir Putin as saying that “their preference is for their economic integration.”

“The EU is not a military alliance like NATO,” he said.

However, the Russian president said that Ukraine would “become a semi-colony” in the West if it joined the European Union. “That’s my opinion,” he added.

Russia has launched a major military offensive against Ukraine, especially to end its relations with the West.