On the New Year's eve Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has paid a visit to the Kharkiv National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine, where he met with military personnel of the National Guard, lecturers, and students of the Academy.

"He assured that in the new 2016 year, amid aggression against Ukraine, provision of the needs of military personnel will be the priority for the authorities," the press service of the head of state reports.

The president called this "a criteria and a litmus test, which determines the stance of the authorities on the National Guard during these hard times." Among such criteria is further provision of military personnel with housing.

Poroshenko said that the set limit of the National Guard staff in a number of 60,000 servicemen enables to form a forceful reserve to build up Ukraine's Armed Forces and expand the possibilities of an adequate response to the aggressor if the Minsk agreements are violated.

Addressing to audience at the Academy, the head of state said that the combat readiness and capabilities of the National Guard, which at the very beginning was formed by the activists of Maidan self-defense units, improved.

The president added that national guardsmen became the first defenders of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.

"The first fighters rose to fame, national guardsmen were among the fighters of the battalions which were later granted high ranks. New generations of true Ukrainian patriots will be brought up with the memory of the heroes from the National Guard," Poroshenko said.

He has recalled that not only the Ukrainian society values the proficiency and devotion of the National Guard to Homeland; their service was highly estimated during international military exercises.