Servicemen from NATO member states have learned a lot from Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kuleba said.
According to him, the Kiev authorities receive “many words of gratitude to learn from the Ukrainian Armed Forces”.
“It’s not just to come to share experience, but to learn from us how to defend your country. This is a tectonic shift in our relationship with NATO. We are no longer asking for help”, – said the deputy prime minister.
Kuleba noted that NATO and Ukraine “are important for each other.”
The Ukrainian politician also stressed that the country’s accession to NATO remains a matter of time. The deputy prime minister added that within five years Kiev intended to get criteria for joining NATO.
In December 2014, the Verkhovna Rada amended two laws, due to which Ukraine lost the status of an extra-bloc state. In June 2016, additional amendments were adopted which define the accession to NATO as the goal of the country’s foreign policy. Ukraine should also ensure full compatibility of its troops with NATO forces by 2020. Former Secretary General of the alliance Anders Fogh Rasmussen earlier said that in order to join the alliance Kiev would have to achieve a number of criteria, which will take a long time to implement. Experts believe that Ukraine will not be able to apply for NATO membership in the next 20 years.