Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO this year is better, but it is not being monitored well, New Europe Center Director Kateryna Zarembo has said.
“We can say the Ukraine-NATO cooperation program this year is much better. Joint activities have increased,” Zarembo said at a press conference in Kyiv on March 29.
Speaking about Ukraine’s desire to join the military block, the expert said, “This is symbolic, a rhetorical device employed by politicians.”
“We are not talking about official NATO status as defined in a bilateral agreement, or by any other means, as is done in the European Union. This is merely rhetorical acknowledgment of Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance. But it is important, nonetheless.
Ukraine will continue to reform the security and defense sector in accordance with NATO standards, as well as strengthen democratic civil control over this sector.
A respective provision is envisaged in the Annual National Program under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Commission for 2018, which was approved by a decree of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on March 28.
“Medium-term goals include ensuring the joint leadership of the security and defense sector of Ukraine in accordance with the principles and standards of NATO, introducing effective policies, systems for planning and managing the resources of the security and defense sector of Ukraine on the basis of modern Euro-Atlantic approaches,” the document says.
The plans also include the development and introduction of operational (combat) capabilities of the components of the security and defense sector of Ukraine that are necessary to ensure the security and defense of the state, maintain peace and international security, and introduce an integrated logistics system capable of supporting all components of the security and defense sector of Ukraine.
