Poroshenko Confirms Defense Plan for Countering 'Russian Aggression'

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced the country’s new defense strategy, which is designed to counter “aggression from Russia.”

KIEV (Sputnik) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has confirmed the country’s new defense concept that reflects the highest threat of “aggression from Russia,” according to a statement on the president’s official website published on Wednesday.

“In compliance with the document, the most actual short-term threat still remains of aggressive actions from Russia to exhaust Ukraine’s economy, destructing the social-political stability with the goal of destroying Ukraine and taking over its territory, the use of military force, as well as using technological hybrid war, the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia, and further actions to destabilize the situation in the region of the Baltic, Black, and Caspian seas,” the statement reads.

The Concept stipulates the implementation of several tasks, including the adoption of NATO and EU security principles and standards, the implementation of "effective unified planning and resource management using modern European and Euro-Atlantic approaches" and strengthening cooperation with the intelligence services of NATO member states.

The Ukrainian leadership, which came to power in 2014, is seeking membership of both NATO and the European Union for the country.

In September 2015, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko signed a new military doctrine in which one of the main objectives for the development of the country’s armed forces is to bring them in line with NATO standards by 2020.