“New security system will not target anyone, including Russia, but it will be aimed at protecting our own territory, at making acts of aggression as well as illegal border crossing absolutely intolerable, and at ensuring the existence of necessary mechanisms to maintain peace,” Ukrainian official website cites the president’s words.
Ukrainian leader added that NATO is the system, which ensures security of its member states, and said that Kiev still wants to join the alliance.
“It is necessary to do everything so that the country, citizens’ income levels and GDP, investment levels in the defense complex and the status of the Armed Forces would meet the criteria of those states that want to be NATO members,” Poroshenko said when commenting on Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO.
In August, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk introduced legislation to the country’s parliament to drop its “non-aligned bloc” status, starting a campaign to join NATO. However, the bloc's regulations do not allow countries involved in territorial disputes to become its members, while Kiev refuses to acknowledge Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
Earlier in November, five Ukrainian parties signed a draft coalition agreement signaling that NATO membership would be one of the top priorities of Ukraine's new government.
