"There will be a session of the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) on the level of heads of states and governments in Warsaw. This session will give an opportunity to assess progress of the reforms in Ukraine and discuss our joint work on supporting Ukraine in security and defense," Vinnikov told the Segodnya daily newspaper.
He expects the alliance to make a political statement concerning support for the Ukrainian sovereignty and to approve a package of aid for Ukraine.
"Firstly, [I expect] a political statement, that will reaffirm the alliance’s irrevocable support for the Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. Adoption of the comprehensive package of aid will increase our practical help for Ukraine. That will accelerate the existing efforts on supporting [Ukraine] and unite all new elements in a single package of aid that will embrace all spheres of the NATO-Ukrainian cooperation," Vinnikov said.
He also said that NATO would further build up its military capabilities in Eastern Europe in order to "deter" Russia.
In December 2014, the Ukrainian parliament amended two laws rejecting the neutral status of the country. Ukraine set the goal to be ready for joining NATO in 2020. In mid-December 2015, Ukraine and NATO signed a roadmap on defense-technical cooperation.
Since 2014, the alliance has been building up its military presence in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia’s borders is provocative and could harm regional and global stability.
