Is the Ukrainian president desperately trying to enlist the support of NATO and the EU to "confront" Russia?
(Baonghean.vn) - Ukrainian President Piotr Poroshenko received a promise from NATO to provide Ukraine with secure communication equipment; he also simultaneously proposed EU sanctions against Russia.
Later this year, NATO plans to transfer equipment to ensure secure communications for the Ukrainian armed forces, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Piotr Poroshenko on Thursday.
"NATO is providing Ukraine with strong political and practical support. This includes approximately 40 million euros that allied countries have pledged to contribute to funds that will help Ukraine improve governance and communications… And today I informed Mr. Poroshenko that we will provide secure communication equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces by the end of this year," Stoltenberg said.
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He reiterated that "NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea region in recent years and will continue to assess its presence there." Stoltenberg also noted that NATO confirms Kyiv's desire to join the alliance and "wants Ukraine to succeed in this and is ready to help in this."
In December 2014, the Verkhovnaya Rada of Ukraine amended two laws, rejecting the state's non-aligned status. In June 2016, further changes were adopted to define NATO membership as a goal in the country's foreign policy. By 2020, Ukraine needed to ensure the full compatibility of its armed forces with those of NATO countries.
In other developments, Ukrainian President Piotr Poroshenko has just conveyed to Tusk and Stoltenberg a proposal for sanctions against Russia. He presented this proposal in Brussels during talks with the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, suggesting sanctions against Russia for the incident in the Kerch Strait.
Earlier, EU countries agreed on a joint statement on the events in the Kerch Strait, emphasizing the need for de-escalation in the region. Some sources within EU structures stated that there was no consensus on imposing new sanctions, with the priority at this stage being to find a solution to the conflict and provide practical support to Ukraine. The previous night, Poroshenko held talks with the head of the European Council and the head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini.
"We also discussed sanctions. We presented Mr. Tusk with data and projects. Today, I presented these documents to the NATO Secretary General. They list specific individuals who participated in actions against Ukrainian sailors," Poroshenko said after his meeting with Stoltenberg at the alliance headquarters.
According to the Ukrainian president, the topic of "Nord Stream 2" was also discussed at meetings with European representatives.