DONETSK (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he intended to hold a referendum on the country's accession to NATO.
"The issue of NATO membership has been repeatedly raised by Kiev, but every time it was an action in the sphere of marketing directed at western partners, because the very fact of Ukraine's referendum on NATO accession would mean an official refusal of Donbas," Nikonorova said.
She added that the residents of the Donbass' self-proclaimed republics would not be able to participate in such the vote and the NATO Charter involved a provision that a country, which could not control its borders, could not join the alliance.
Ukraine has cooperated with the Alliance for years. Kiev has intensified its efforts to join NATO following the shift of power in 2014 and has already canceled its non-aligned status.
