Ukrainian flag should be at NATO headquarters - Poroshenko 

Petro Poroshenko, who is currently attending a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, said in an interview with the European media outlet RTL that the first negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU should begin by the end of this year, the press service of the EU party reports.

When asked how to end the war, Poroshenko said: "The key to peace is not in the hands of Kyiv, Washington or Brussels. Unfortunately, it is in the hands of Putin. Therefore, please do not promote the idea of freezing the war. My message is this: please do not be afraid of the defeat of Putin and his clique. We are standing here at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. I am proud to see the Ukrainian flag here. And I pray that in a short time we will also see the flag of Ukraine at NATO headquarters in Brussels."

"All NATO member states, including Luxembourg, are now protected not by Article 5 of the Alliance from Russian aggression - they are protected by the blue and yellow shield of Ukrainian soldiers," Poroshenko emphasized.

He also explained why the coalition of fighter jets is needed. "Our goal is simple: to destroy as many Russian orcs as possible. To concentrate as many Russian troops as possible around Bakhmut. This would allow us to organize a counteroffensive. So we needed to change the game: first we created a tank coalition, then an air defense coalition, then a long-range weapons coalition. I hope, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed, that after the G7 summit in Hiroshima there will be a coalition of combat aircraft. According to NATO standards, we must dominate our airspace," he said.

Poroshenko emphasized that the Ukrainian people are defending European values in the war, so negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU should begin by the end of this year.

"This was a great confirmation that the values of the Ukrainian people are European. And we are even ready to give our lives for Europe. That is why I am proud to have my signature under the Association Agreement with the European Union. The Free Trade Agreement, visa-free regime, amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine, and the course of joining the EU and NATO. It is extremely important for us that we have been granted EU candidate status. And this year, in 2023, even before the elections in European countries, we have to start the first negotiations on joining the EU. So, in 2023," Poroshenko summarizes.