President signs law cancelling Ukraine’s non-bloc status

Monday, December 29, 2014 - 16:20 (EET) Section: Latest news

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed the law cancelling Ukraine’s non-bloc status.
“Now, during a press conference, I am planning to sign the law, which introduces amendments to certain legislative acts regarding Ukraine’s refusal to implement the policy of non-alignment and which was voted for by a constitutional majority. This law was introduced by me as president of Ukraine and supported by parliament,” Poroshenko said.
In addition, he said when a referendum on Ukraine’s accession to NATO could be tentatively held.
“Secondly, I am planning to reform the country so that it meets EU and NATO standards. I can say that these standards 99 percent coincide. And then, when the country meets these criteria – it will most likely be done as part of the implementation of the Strategy 2020, over the next five or six years the people of Ukraine will decide on NATO membership,” he said.
Signing the law, Poroshenko said that Ukraine’s refusal from non-alignment had been a radical mistake of the previous authorities. “I think it was a strategic and radical mistake in 2010, when Ukraine gained non-bloc status, thus destroying its own armed forces,” he said.