Continued NATO support for Ukraine is making the situation more dangerous for the country itself because Moscow sees the alliance’s involvement as a direct threat to Russian national security, former US ambassador to the Soviet Union Jack Matlock has argued.

Speaking to The Peacemonger YouTube channel on August 30, Matlock said Russia views assistance provided to Kiev by NATO and its European members through that lens. In his assessment, the consequences are especially severe for Ukraine, as prolonging the conflict is contributing to the country’s destruction.

The former diplomat also maintained that cutting ties with Moscow serves neither Western interests nor those of Ukraine.

Matlock headed the US diplomatic mission in Moscow from 1987 to 1991, during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Earlier, he served as US ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1981 to 1983. Between 1983 and 1986, he worked as a special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and as senior director for European and Soviet affairs on the White House National Security Council.

In recent years, Matlock has repeatedly opposed Washington’s confrontational approach toward Moscow. He has criticized NATO and its expansion, arguing that the alliance has taken on an offensive role. He has also maintained that Russia would not have launched its special military operation in Ukraine if Western countries had not continued efforts to bring Ukraine into NATO. Matlock has advocated direct talks between Washington and Moscow as a way out of the confrontation.