KIEV, September 13 (RIA Novosti) - NATO is not ready to accept Ukraine as a bloc’s member in the short run, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Saturday during a Yalta European Strategy (YES) forum in Kiev.
“[Becoming a member of] NATO is not our goal yet, but when Russia has invaded Ukraine – it has to be precisely and clearly stated that in such circumstances, NATO is the only opportunity to protect Ukraine. I realize that not all NATO members are content with such stance. I realize that in the short run NATO is not ready to accept Ukraine,” Yatsenyuk said.
Ukrainian prime minister also noted that Kiev needs some solid guarantees for its sovereignty.
“We have to obtain the guarantees. We want to have real guarantees for sovereignty,” he said.
YES is an annual international forum held in the Ukrainian capital on September 11-13, designed to promote Ukraine’s European integration. This year’s forum included a number of high-profile politicians and businessmen, including President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and founder of Virgin Group Richard Branson.
