British Ambassador to Ukraine Neil Crompton said NATO members should be prepared for a range of possible scenarios, including a potential Russian attack on alliance countries. According to him, NATO already has an agreed plan for such a contingency.

Crompton said this scenario is actively discussed and argued that the alliance should not be naive. In his view, NATO must both prepare for such risks and work to prevent them.

The ambassador also described relations with Moscow as difficult. He added that Britain supports Ukraine’s accession to NATO, although there is still no consensus within the alliance on the issue.

Turning to a possible settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Crompton said reliable Western security guarantees would be a key condition. Among the options under discussion, he mentioned the presence of European troops on the ground and allied aircraft in the air. He said such measures are being considered by the so-called coalition of the willing.

Earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to London Valery Zaluzhny expressed doubts about Ukraine’s prospects of joining NATO. He described talk of Kiev gaining membership in the near future as unrealistic and said that, at its current level of military development, Ukraine would not be able to join an alliance that, in his view, still relies on doctrines dating back to the Second World War.