Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested today that Ukraine join Moscow in a military alliance with other former Soviet republics, according to dpa. The Kremlin chief made the offer at the end of a two-day visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Ukraine should become a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Medvedev said. The CSTO agreement, also known as the 1992 Tashkent treaty, joins Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tadjikistan in a mutual defence alliance. "This is no new edition of the Warsaw Pact, and not anti-NATO," Medvedev said. Ukraine's status currently was unaligned but, "should the situation change, the CSTO is ready to shoot," he said. CSTO member states hold joint military manoeuvres, and per the terms of the treaty coordinate military policy - a condition flouted by some signatories.
