Ukraine's Poroshenko Vows to Hold Referendum on NATO Membership

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to fulfill his plans of holding a referendum in his country on the issue of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Ukrainian leader, four years ago NATO membership was supported by 16 percent of the Ukrainian population, while currently the figure stands at 54 percent.

"If the Ukrainians vote yes, I will make every effort to achieve North Atlantic alliance membership," Poroshenko said in an interview with the German Berliner Morgenpost newspaper.

In December 2014, Ukraine canceled its non-aligned status, confirming its intention to join NATO. Poroshenko said a referendum on NATO membership would be held by 2020, after all NATO requirements have been met.