KIEV, September 08. /ITAR-TASS/. President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday he had obtained the consent of some of the NATO countries to supply modern weapons to Ukraine.

“We have reached an agreement with several NATO countries to organise direct supplies of modern weapons to help us defend ourselves and win. We count only on ourselves but financial and military technical assistance is critically important. And we will get it,” Poroshenko said.

Presidential adviser Yuri Lutsenko said that at its recent summit in Wales, NATO had agreed to send its military instructors and supply modern weapons to Ukraine from the United States, France, Italy, Poland, and Norway.

Washington, Warsaw and Oslo immediately denied that. Defense Ministry officials in Rome said Italy was considering supplying military gear to Ukraine, but only non-lethal types and in close coordination with NATO partners.

Paris declined to comment on possible arms supplies to Ukraine, saying that the source of information was unofficial.

Poroshenko also said that the OSCE mission monitoring the ceasefire in the south-east of Ukraine would soon be increased by 500 people.

Poroshenko said on Monday he was hopeful that the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine would hold and the parties to the conflict would secure it.

“I hope that the diplomats’ efforts will bear fruit,” he said at a meeting with the military.

At the same time, he said that the army must be ready to defend the country, “We must not relax,” the president said.

“The Ukrainian army will change its defence tactics and strategy” by expanding cooperation with NATO, he said.