ST PETERSBURG, June 6 (RIA Novosti) - Appearing at a press-conference in St.Petersburg, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that, with Ukraine in NATO, Russia would have to make additional investment in its defenses to ensure national sovereignty and security.

"Once Ukraine has become a NATO member, I can forecast one definite consequence. The military technology sectors of Russia and Ukraine are still closely knit together and, in case of Ukraine's joining NATO, this country will have to build up its investment in this sphere to guarantee national sovereignty and security. And in this sense, Ukraine's admission to NATO is a plus."

The day before, on May 7, President Putin gave an interview to the France-3 TV company, saying that we hope that our relations with NATO would develop and enhance. "But for the time being our relations are at a level, which will not enable us to keep some sophisticated technologies and separate industries in one of the NATO countries, in this case Ukraine."

He says this will require some additional government resources to transfer the said technologies and industries to the territory of the Russian Federation.

"Our Russian colleagues will probably rejoice but for the government it is a real burden. Ukraine is likely to suffer as well because some industries and areas of research will have to be curtailed," added Putin.

"This might be avoided but we should anticipate all this in an open and honest discussion. It is what we are doing now," he emphasized.