Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said only integration into the Euro-Atlantic space guarantees the country's security, independence and prospects for raising the standard of living.

"We have escaped multidirectional labyrinths. We jumped out of the deadly trap of non-alignment, and since 2014 we are firmly following our path to the European Union and NATO. Only Ukraine's integration into the Euro-Atlantic space guarantees us peace and security, independence and prospects for raising the standard of living," Poroshenko said on Thursday morning.

He was speaking from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada, delivering his annual message about the internal and external situation of Ukraine.

Poroshenko did not rule out that in recent years the authorities made many tactical mistakes, for which he personally bears responsibility.

"But I am sure we made no errors on strategy issues! Making Ukraine a strong and successful integral part of Europe without any prospect of returning to the zone of Russian influence is our goal, our ambition, our mission," he said.

Speaking about what was achieved by Ukraine in recent years, the head of state mentioned the revival of the country's Armed Forces, the process of granting Ukraine's Orthodox Church autocephaly and strengthening the position of the Ukrainian language.

"We have built an efficient army. We are giving the Ukrainian Church a worthy place in world Orthodoxy. We affirm the Ukrainian language as a component of the strength and success of our people, and in the future we will take effective measures to strengthen its state status, strengthen and spread it in all spheres of public life," the president said.

"The army, language and faith are not a slogan. This is the formula of Ukraine's modern identity. The army defends our land, the language protects our heart and the church protects our soul," Poroshenko said.