An open discussion of the relations with NATO was kicked off in Ukraine, but the issue of joining this organization is subject to a referendum.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko claimed this in an interview with EuroNews television on January 30.
“This is a complicated question for Ukraine. While 70 percent of people support EU membership, NATO membership divides us. I think that`s the real subject of this process. Today we are starting to discuss the implications; openly and directly, and we ask ourselves, `what is NATO?`, `how would we feel in it?`, `could membership reinforce our independence?`... There are many details to this question, but for the moment we think the best way is to go down the same road as NATO, collaborating, with membership only later, and subject to a referendum”, Yulia Tymoshenko pointed out.
