MOSCOW, September 4 (RIA Novosti) - NATO supports its member states in providing Ukraine with military-technical assistance, President Petro Poroshenko said following a meeting with several of the alliance’s leaders Thursday.
"There is an understanding that [by] supporting Ukraine, supporting peace, stability and de-escalation of the situation in the east of Ukraine, they are maintaining the stability of Europe and the world. It is not just a Ukrainian issue, it is a global issue," Poroshenko is quoted as saying on his official website.
The statement came following the Ukrainian leader’s meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and French President Francois Hollande at NATO's summit in Newport, Wales.
According to Poroshenko, NATO members are to sign a resolution that states the alliance’s support for “resolute bilateral actions of member-states on the provision of military-technical assistance for Ukraine”.
Poroshenko stated that the format of Thursday’s meeting demonstrates NATO’s willingness to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which faces “foreign aggression”.
Since mid-April the Ukrainian government has been conducting a military operation against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine who refused to acknowledge the new government that came to power after a coup in February.
Kiev has repeatedly accused Russia of sending troops and weaponry to independence supporters in the region. Russia has denied any involvement in the internal Ukrainian crisis.
