Ukraine must be at the heart of EU strategies and receive support on its path towards European integration, Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen has said at the opening of the 13th Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES).

"Denmark and the EU stand in firm support of Ukraine's economic aspirations and against the Russian aggression in the east and in Crimea. I will ensure that we will keep Ukraine on top of the EU agenda despite a great number of conflicts in the world," he said.

Jensen stressed that each country has the right to determine its way to develop, and the European Union would not stay on the sidelines of the way Ukraine has chosen.

"It is time to make a stand between those who are willing to draw Ukraine back into a time when it was dominated by its neighbors, and to pull it forward to a time when Ukraine is able to choose its own path in the future. I believe that every country, large or small, should have the right to choose their own future. And right now for Ukraine the path toward Europe is open. It has never been easy, it has never been an easy, straightforward road, but the people of Ukraine people will be supported all the way," he said.