Batkivschyna leader Yulia Tymoshenko, speaking at the 20th Annual Session of the Homeland and Global Security Forum, held by the international organization Crans Montana Forum in Geneva (Switzerland), has stressed that Ukraine has earned its right to be in NATO and the European Union.

"The 100th anniversary of the end of the World War I, which lasted four years, three months and 14 days, will be celebrated around the world on November 11. The events and lessons of the World War I will be discussed at the highest level. This is certainly correct and important. But few people know that the war in eastern Ukraine, together with the annexation of Crimea, has been going on longer than World War I - more than four years and eight months. It is spoken about less and less," said the party leader, presenting her report "Regional and Global Challenges: The Example of Ukraine."

Tymoshenko recalled that during the undeclared war of Russia against the Ukrainian state more than 10,000 people have been killed, including 147 children; nearly 30,000 wounded, including 300 children; at least 1,300 people are considered missing; almost 2 million Ukrainians are displaced. According to her, the occupied territory of Ukraine is more than the area of the whole of Switzerland; more than 400 km of the state border is not controlled by the government.

The politician urged the world community "not to turn a blind eye to the events of the present."

"If we don't start today, we'll quickly realize that we started too late," she added.

According to her, the events in Crimea and eastern Ukraine and the response of the international community are and will be "one of the key indicators of the ability or inability of existing security mechanisms and institutions to pass a stress test."

Tymoshenko also stressed that most Ukrainians see their future in the EU and NATO.

"The war that has been going on for the past four years has shown that it is difficult for us to resist Russia's aggression alone. The Russian Federation must accept the fact that the Soviet Union no longer exists, that there are new independent states that have the right to this independence and sovereignty. And Ukraine has won its right to join NATO and the EU," the party's leader said.

As reported, on October 25-27 Yulia Tymoshenko is participating in the Crans Montana security forum, where current security challenges and threats to the modern world order are being discussed by heads of state and government, ministers, parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations, leading world politicians and experts.

The Crans Montana Forum cooperates with the UN, UNESCO, the EU and other institutions for the sake of ensuring stability, security and respect for human rights in the world. This year, the Forum discusses the current challenges in the field of security and the threat to the modern world order. Heads of state and government, ministers, parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations, leading politicians of the world and experts take part in it.