Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ruled out the possibility of concluding peace with Russia under the terms of Ukraine's capitulation.
"Peace on terms of capitulation, peace when the Ukrainian territory surrenders, peace when the Ukrainian state surrenders, peace when Ukraine raises its hands up is not peace for Poroshenko and not peace for Ukraine," the president said in an interview to Ukrainian SK1 TV channel.
He said the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a strong army is the guarantee of peace.
"The stronger our army, the sooner peace will come. The stronger the international solidarity around Ukraine, the sooner peace will come. The tougher sanctions against the aggressor country, the sooner peace will come," Poroshenko said.
Read alsoUkraine parliament publishes amendments to Constitution on Ukraine's path to EU, NATO
Answering the clarifying question when the peace will come, he said: "I will not promise the time. It's not fair. I will not be a supporter of populists who try to deceive people. I call for responsible discussion and great responsibility for the fate of the state, for its future."
Poroshenko said the government was doing everything so that Ukraine have a strategic perspective of an organized and effective security system in the state, including through the law on national security.
In addition, he stressed the amendments to the Constitution on the consolidation of Ukraine's course on European and Euro-Atlantic integration should clearly fix the task for the President, Verkhovna Rada and Government in the Preamble of the Basic Law, as well as the liquidation of possibility to have Russian military bases, including Sevastopol, on the territory of Ukraine in the Final Provisions.
Read alsoPoroshenko to notify Russia of termination of friendship agreement by Sept 30
"Ukraine's principal position is the following: we did not ask and we are not going to ask the aggressor country or Putin's permission regarding our European and Euro-Atlantic integration. This is exclusively the sovereign right of the Ukrainian people," he said.
Poroshenko recalled that, according to sociological polls, most Ukrainians support the European and Euro-Atlantic movement of Ukraine as a key factor in ensuring the security of the state. According to the president, unlike the Budapest Memorandum and other documents, NATO became the only possible and effective tool for ensuring national security.
"So we will not ask Putin anything, we are moving toward Europe. We will not let anyone threaten Ukraine, including the Sea of Azov," the president said.
He recalled the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine had recently clearly defined action plans and reactions, from military to economic, from political to legal and judicial, where the Russian Federation must be held accountable for violations of laws and international law.
