Ukrainian presidential hopeful, entertainer Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Friday that if elected he would hold a national referendum on the country's accession to NATO
KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2019) Ukrainian presidential hopeful, entertainer Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Friday that if elected he would hold a national referendum on the country's accession to NATO.Earlier in the day, Zelensky filed documents to the Central Election Commission (CEC) for registration as a candidate for Ukrainian presidency, according to a live broadcast on the "Zelensky team" Facebook page. The election is scheduled for March 31.
"The movement of Ukraine toward NATO and other security associations is a guarantee of our security, which I believe in, and which should be confirmed by an all-Ukrainian referendum," Zelensky said in his election program, released by his press service.
The presidential hopeful aims to bring the salaries of the Ukrainian servicemen up to the level of NATO standards, according to the program.
Zelensky also plans "to redeem confidence in law enforcement agencies," and put an end to "economic crimes" and pressure on business committed by the Security Service of Ukraine.
In December 2014, Ukraine canceled its non-aligned status, thereby confirming its intention to join NATO. Ukrainian incumbent President Petro Poroshenko has said a referendum on NATO membership will be held by 2020. Despite Kiev's aspirations to become part of the alliance, NATO officials have repeatedly said that the country needs to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing membership.
