Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Ukraine's NATO membership should be determined by people through a referendum after implementation of reforms

"Having given that back in 2008 Ukraine was not provided an opportunity to sign the action Plan on Ukraine's membership in NATO in Bucharest, given that the Russian military aggression against Georgia didn’t receive a proper response, given that throughout recent decade the Alliance and our Western partners have been blind a bit and deaf a bit towards Russia and the billions of dollars that have been spent on Russian defense. We have lost Crimea and we have Russian troops and Russian tanks deployed on the territory of Ukraine. We have lost six thousand human lives through the imperial ambitions of Russia and its top leadership, who are far from realizing that it is crucial to learn how to live peacefully in the world and that it is impossible to settle their internal Russian problems the same way they were settled by the Soviet Union - at the expense of external aggression," stressed the Head of Government.

He stressed consistency in this matter and reminded the year of 2008 when as the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine he signed the claim on joining Action Plan on Ukraine’s NATO membership: "Now I want to reaffirm: I believe Ukraine should become a member of Euro-Atlantic security. I believe these days Ukraine is fighting for peace and security throughout Europe, as Russia threatens Ukraine, the European Union, the Alliance members. And the inappropriate, aggressive military policy of Russia means violation of international law and order".

The Prime Minister noted that in the West "not everyone feels happy from such a position: "With all due respect to our partners, the core of the position should lie in the plane of Ukrainian interest. At this stage, our interest is a strong and modern Ukrainian army, which needs help. We are defending the borders of the European Union from the Russian aggression".

Arseniy Yatsenyuk emphasized that now it is crucial to make every effort to prevent Russian aggression to spread further and proceed further following the program of reforms pursued in the country to endure 2015, to stabilize the financial system": "At the account of the funds of international financial organizations we gave an injection to start economic mechanisms. I foresee the year of 2016 as the starting year for the country’s growth."

“Ending the conflict, following the way of reforms in 2015, 2016 – a year of gradual growth,” he stressed. 

"If a few years ago an issue of Ukraine's NATO membership was not on our radar screens, my political position is now it's on our radar. After we have finished our reforms, the Ukrainian citizens will decide in the referendum on Ukraine's membership in the Alliance. And the Alliance is to get another member, which, together with the free world engages into defending freedom and democracy from aggressors", emphasized Arseniy Yatsenyuk.