We cannot ignore security challenges - Head of State on the role of Ukraine as the eastern flank of NATO and Europe

President Petro Poroshenko stresses that under the present conditions, Ukraine cannot and should not ignore the challenges that arise in the area of security. That is why it was decided to consolidate the course for the EU and NATO in the Constitution.

“We cannot ignore security challenges. The only efficient system for today is NATO. That is why I have taken an initiative with the Parliament on amendments to the Constitution regarding Ukraine"s future membership in NATO and the EU," the Head of State said during the panel discussion "Security in Eastern Europe".

"An overwhelming majority of deputies voted for this presidential initiative. Therefore, if we talk about the most Euro-optimistic nation, Ukraine will be among the first ones," he added.

Also, Petro Poroshenko emphasized that much attention should be paid to the security of Europe. "We live in different conditions now ... It must be understood that large European nations can defend themselves through NATO, which is more effective, or through another instrument. Ukraine will gladly be a part of any security initiative," the President said.

The Head of State stressed that Ukraine had a very strong support of the American people in the struggle for freedom and democracy. "We have bipartisan support from the US Congress. We have a strong support from the US Administration," he added. The President stressed that great European leaders, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, had also played a vital role in the security of our country. "Success is possible only when the United States, Europe and the whole world are together," he said.

Petro Poroshenko once again stressed that Ukraine had no frozen conflict: "We have a hot war. Over the last 24 hours I lost one Ukrainian soldier, as an anti-tank missile hit a military truck, three soldiers were also heavily wounded. Over the last 24 hours”.

According to him, Ukraine has lost 2945 military during the whole period of military operation. After the Minsk agreements it lost 948 soldiers. "And this is my daily life. This is a hot war," the President said.

The Head of State emphasized that after our country had received Javelin anti-tank missiles from the United States, the number of tank shelling had significantly decreased. "Why? Because Russian tankers simply refuse to go to the touch line. We have halved the number of combat casualties. This is a vivid demonstration of the effectiveness of this type of cooperation,” he said.

Petro Poroshenko also added that every international partner of Ukraine fulfilled its important role and mission. "Everyone has its own role. The OSCE SMM is a source of international information for the whole world. Thanks to them, this process is no longer called a conflict in the east of Ukraine, it is now called what it really is - Russian aggression against a sovereign and independent state," the President noted.

He also noted that after 2014, the situation in the world had completely changed, as one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, which had been the basis of the security system of the world after the Second World War, had blocked the work of that instrument. "Because the aggressor is a permanent member of the UN and the Security Council simply does not work. And Ukraine pays a huge price for it," the President said.

The Head of State added: "Sometimes they say to me, we should not make Russia nervous. Therefore, Ukraine should not be a member of NATO. I want to remind everyone, Ukraine did not have a program for the future NATO membership in 2014 and had a neutral status. It did not protect us from the Russian aggression. Therefore, we should stop this state of uncertainty. Not only Ukraine must pay this huge price, but also Europe. You have to study the lessons of Georgia, Ukraine, because we consider ourselves the eastern flank of NATO, the eastern flank of Europe. My country is a member of the European family, a future member of the EU. Therefore, I urge you to stop the state of uncertainty. The price may be very high".