Ukraine will not let Russia to oust it from the Black Sea coastal area, President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine has said.
“Ukraine will do every effort to guarantee national security along our sea routes. We will develop and strengthen the Ukrainian Navy. We will build up our partnership with NATO. We will not allow Russia to oust Ukraine from the Black Sea coastal area,” Poroshenko said at a meeting dedicated to the development of Ukraine’s marine economic complex in Izmail, Odesa region, on Tuesday.
He said thanks to the strengthening of its Navy, Ukraine has become a contributor to the security system of the entire Eastern Mediterranean, together with its partners from the North Atlantic Alliance.
“We are capable of withstanding threats, we are able to withstand other crisis phenomena in this region and, first of all, those created by the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian head of state said.
