Ukraine’s Poroshenko signs constitutional amendment on ‘NATO, EU membership’

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has signed a constitutional amendment committing to join NATO and the European Union. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Poroshenko said he sees securing Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO as his “strategic mission.” Poroshenko is running for a second five-year term in the March 31 election. He also told Verkhovna Rada that he aims to make a formal bid to join the EU by 2023. He acknowledged, however, that Ukraine needs to come a “long way” to meet the criteria of joining both institutions. European Council President Donald Tusk addressed the parliament in Ukrainian, declaring that “there is no Europe without Ukraine,” AP reports.