- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Ukraine says troops could serve in NATO reaction force in 2011

Subscribe
KIEV, December 3 (RIA Novosti) - Certain units of Ukraine's armed forces could take part in the first rotations of NATO reaction forces and EU tactical units starting in 2011, the chief of the Ukrainian General Staff said Wednesday.

Army General Sergey Kirichenko said that this year Ukrainian units have taken part in nine multinational exercises in Ukraine and eight outside the country.

"The renewed package of partnership goals adopted this year has given a more practical direction to military cooperation with NATO," the UNIAN agency quoted Kirichenko as saying.

After a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the alliance would "beef up" the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia Commissions, to help speed up reforms needed for the countries' eventual membership of the alliance.

However, European countries led by Germany derailed U.S. plans to bring the two post-Soviet countries into the Membership Action Plan (MAP).

NATO refused at its April summit to let Georgia and Ukraine into MAP, a key step for membership in the 26-nation alliance, but pledged to review the decision in December. The countries had received strong U.S. backing for their bids.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko said Wednesday that Kiev is satisfied with NATO's decision.

Oppositional pro-Russian politician Viktor Yanukovych, who heads the Party of Regions, said NATO's refusal to take Ukraine into MAP means that NATO members respect the Ukrainian people's opinion.

Nationwide surveys have found that over half of the country's citizens are against Ukraine joining the alliance, while about a third are in favor.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала