RIA Novosti: Ukraine to Keep Non-Aligned Status, Revision Possible

KIEV, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s membership in NATO is off the table for now, but its future in the military alliance will depend on Russia’s plan of action, the Ukrainian acting foreign chief said Monday.

“I can say for sure that Ukraine is not going to raise the question of its NATO membership any time soon. It runs counter to Ukrainian laws and isn’t a government’s priority. There are no talks on this topic going on,” Foreign Minister Andriy Deschytsia said in an interview to the Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper.

He added the future of Ukraine as a non-aligned state would hinge on “the sentiment of the Ukrainian people, as well as on what actions Russia is going to undertake.”

As of now, Ukraine retains its non-aligned status, as stipulated in its laws, although the Sunday presidential election in the country could move Ukraine one step closer towards changing it.

Ukraine went to polls yesterday to vote in a new president. The election ran off against a backdrop of a deep political rift and a massive military crackdown on the country’s east that has killed scores of civilians.

A total of 21 candidates ran for president. The central elections commission is still counting the returns, but billionaire confectionary tycoon Petro Poroshenko is largely predicted to win the poll. He is currently supported by 54.56 percent of votes against over 55 percent predicted by exit polls.