Petro Poroshenko, who is participating in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Sofia, told journalists in his comments that the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, supports Ukraine’s right to use Western weapons to strike legitimate targets in the Russian Federation. Poroshenko emphasized that the Ukrainian delegation insisted on this during the negotiations and it was recorded in the Declaration dedicated to Ukraine.
“The first thing that happened here in Sofia was the name change. And this is not just a change of name, but a change of essence. For two years, I fought to change the position of our NATO partners from the words that “we will be with Ukraine as long as necessary” to the words “until our victory.” And today the name of the Declaration is “Supporting Ukraine to victory”. This is a change in philosophy, these are not just words, these are actions that will be adopted at the NATO summit,” the fifth President noted.
“The second position, which was also decisive, was during yesterday’s and today’s meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whom I have known for ten years, who is a very great friend of Ukraine. It was Stoltenberg who formulated the wording of the clause in the Declaration dedicated to Ukraine in the NATO PA, which stated: Ukraine has the right to use weapons provided by Western partners for legitimate purposes on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Poroshenko said.
“We encourage NATO members to remove any restrictions, today it was almost unanimously voted on the proposal of the Ukrainian delegation, taking into account Stoltenberg’s words. And the words of the General Secretary certainly allowed it to be held so brilliantly,” Poroshenko said.
“Ukraine, first of all, has the right to self-defense. Ukraine is an object of aggression by the Russian Federation. What are legitimate purposes? At the time when it hits supermarkets, the “Epicenter” store, and power plants? We say that first of all we will hit the airfields, missile launch sites and the accumulation of troops on the border with Ukraine for further invasion. This is the right and responsibility of the Armed Forces. Additionally, this motivates Ukraine to provide missiles with a long range. This means that no matter how Russia moves its ships and planes, we will get them 300, 400, 500, and 1000 km away. And we really hope that the powerful voice of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly will be heard at the NATO summit,” Poroshenko said.
“For this alone, it would be worth fighting, struggling, seeking support. That is why Ukraine must be present, we must use parliamentary dialogue, we must use parliamentary diplomacy,” Petro Poroshenko sums up.