Ukraine, NATO counter common challenges – Rasmussen

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the ex-NATO Secretary General, Adviser to the President of Ukraine, said this in exclusive comments to an Ukrinform correspondent in Brussels.

"The North Atlantic Council brings together the NATO Ambassadors from all 29 NATO member states, so it is an important opportunity to deliver messages to NATO capitals about the need to keep up the pressure on Russia, and to support Ukraine," the ex-NATO Secretary General said.

Rasmussen has stressed that Ukraine’s security is NATO’s security, and "many of the challenges we face today – from election interference to cyber security – are areas where Ukraine has significant experience in countering."

"Dialogue and cooperation between NATO and Ukraine are already strong, and the NAC visit will strengthen them further," the Danish politician said.

Speaking about the prospects for Ukraine's membership in NATO, Rasmussen said that "it is Ukraine’s right to choose its own future, and it is encouraging to see that Ukraine continues to aspire to NATO membership."

"Ukraine’s foreign policy ambitions are also being met through domestic reforms that bring it into line with Euro-Atlantic standards. With EU and NATO support, Ukraine has come a very long way in the past three years with an ambitious reform programme, and it has begun to bear fruit with the DCFTA and visa liberalization. However, the reform process must continue. Reforms are the only way to achieve Ukraine’s longer-term foreign policy aims," the advisor to the President of Ukraine said.

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