Lviv, May 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian state is not yet ready to join NATO, Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"Speaking about joining NATO, currently this is an unrealistic prospect for our country. According to NATO criteria, the majority of the population should support [joining the alliance]," he told reporters in Lviv on Thursday.
According to the head of state, Ukraine considers its relations with NATO as a partnership.
"And Ukraine can’t live without this [partnership], because Ukraine is a large country," the president said.
He repeated his earlier statement that Ukraine would participate actively in the creation of a collective security system in Europe.
