Reforming Ukrainian army to meet NATO standards, cooperation will bring membership closer – Yatseniuk

11:19, 23.09.2015 1 min read

The quickest way for Ukraine to join NATO is to reform the Ukrainian Armed Forces to bring it in line with NATO standard to improve cooperation with the alliance, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"We understand that the issue of Ukraine's membership of NATO is on the agenda for the Ukrainian people. It's crucial for Ukraine, but it needs a joint, unified and consolidated decision by NATO member states. In other words, it requires time. To accelerate the process, we need to reinforce cooperation and bring the Ukrainian Armed Forces in line with the criteria and standards of NATO. And that's the shortest way for Ukraine to join NATO," he said during an extended meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Yatseniuk said that the importance of Ukraine-NATO cooperation has reached a new level.

According to him, the joint position of Ukraine and its NATO partners on Russian aggression will ensure the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity and prevent any further sabotage of international stability.