Russia says on eve of NATO summit that Ukrainian entry would be a threat requiring tough response

FILE PHOTO: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a joint news briefing, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Alina Yarysh/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday that Ukrainian membership of the NATO military alliance would have very negative consequences for Europe's security architecture and that Moscow would respond firmly to any such step.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was speaking on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine while not yet accepting Kyiv as a member of the alliance.