Poroshenko thanks Putin for 'European' Ukraine
Ukraine will never return to the “Russian Empire,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated in an interview with CNN. According to him, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin who made Ukraine a more “European country” because during the conflict in the Donbas, the level of support of European integration among the population grew from 33% to 74%.
“Who did this? Putin. So, thank you Mr. Putin for making my country much more European and much more ready to protect European values, Transatlantic values. And we're absolutely confident that we do not return to the Russian Empire,” Poroshenko stated. In the interview, he also talked about the intention to purchase anti-aircraft defense systems from the USA, which will help to deter the threat of a massive Russian airborne attack.
Poroshenko said that the supplies of American Javelin anti-tank systems were a symbolic beginning of the military cooperation of Kyiv and Washington.