Elections will be democratic despite Kremlin's attempt to influence them - Poroshenko

He said this at a meeting with business and public representatives from the Kivertsi district of Volyn region, an Ukrinform correspondent said.

"The Kremlin has worked out a huge arsenal of means of interference in elections. Even the mature and experienced democracies - the United States, the countries of the European Union - are not protected from its interference. We will have to accept this challenge in very difficult conditions. However, if we managed to hold amid the war the presidential election in 2014, which was recognized by the whole world, I am confident that we will also manage to hold it in 2019. I am confident that with joint efforts we will prevent us from being returned from the path we had chosen," Poroshenko said.

He expressed confidence that joint work in the sphere of European and Euro-Atlantic integration would be continued and would give a convincing result for every citizen of Ukraine.

In this context, the head of state noted that the reform of the security and defense sector needed for Ukraine's joining NATO envisaged not only measures to strengthen the ability to protect the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine, but also the security of people within the state. Reforming the Ukrainian economy according to EU standards means improving the living conditions of Ukrainians to the level of European standards, Poroshenko said.

According to him, Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO in the foreseeable future is quite realistic.

"This is how I see the future of Ukraine, and this is how the absolute majority of Ukrainians see it. [...] We cannot allow the result of the election to take us back from the chosen path and devalue everything that was done at the expense of such great efforts and such great sacrifices of our people," Poroshenko said.