The North Atlantic and European course remain a priority for Ukraine, Presidential Press Secretary Serhiy Nikiforov said.

"The North Atlantic and European course remains a priority for Ukraine. Firstly, it is enshrined in the Constitution. Secondly, it is reflected in the daily steps of the authorities. Thirdly, we can safely say that there is a consensus in society about it," Nikiforov said in a comment to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, commenting on the words of former head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and current ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, that Ukraine is allegedly ready to consider abandoning NATO membership in order to avoid war with the Russian Federation.

He said that one should not rush to conclusions regarding Prystaiko's statement.

"Regarding Prystaiko’s words, I still think that there is no need to rush to conclusions. He used the word 'flexibility', and I think that we need to ask him again what exactly he meant – let him explain his words. There has been no explanation yet," the presidential press secretary said.

Nikiforov also said that there were no proposals from Ukraine's Western partners regarding a possible rejection of potential NATO membership in order to avoid a war with the Russian Federation.

"Just the opposite. They all repeatedly said that the open door policy remains open for Ukraine," he said.

Earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, said that Kyiv could refuse to join the North Atlantic Alliance if it helps to avoid a full-scale war with Russia. At the same time, he admitted that his words may run counter to the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine. "I'm now kind of going against the main document that we have. But when I say this, I mean that we are flexible and trying to find the best way out. If we have to make some serious concessions, that's what we can do. Undoubtedly," the diplomat said.