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Poroshenko admits it is too early for Ukraine to join NATO

NATO isn't ready to admit Ukraine either

© Mikhail Palinchak/Ukrainian president's press service/TASS

KIEV, September 21. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday that Ukraine needed to prepare for accession to NATO.

"Ukraine’s current reforms comply with the NATO requirements 99%," he told a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "Is Ukraine ready to become its [NATO] member now? The answer is no. We need to get prepared for this. Is NATO ready to admit Ukraine to the alliance as a member? No. But it is necessary to prepare my country for this."

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Stoltenberg said for his part that NATO is currently working jointly with Ukraine, supporting its reforms, the army reform to make them comply with the NATO requirements.

When the reforms are completed, Ukraine will be able to decide whether it should apply for NATO membership, and then the alliance would consider the application according to the standard procedure. It’s no problem, Stoltenberg said.

According to NATO release, Stoltenberg and Petro Poroshenko on Monday opened the Joint International Civilian Consequence Management Exercise "Ukraine 2015" co-organized by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Over 1,110 first responders from 28 nations participate in the four day event.

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Ukraine crisis Pyotr Poroshenko NATO

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