KIEV, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed Kiev's aspirations to become a member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Zelensky's press service reported on Monday.
"Today, we have coordinated steps to support our European and Euro-Atlantic integration for the next year," Zelensky told reporters after the meeting in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine.
Zelensky said that the three leaders have signed a joint statement following their talks, stating that Poland and Lithuania support Ukraine's possible membership in the EU and NATO.
At the briefing, Nauseda said that Lithuania stands ready to assist Ukraine in joining NATO, while Duda stressed that the migration crisis and the buildup of Russian troops near the borders of Ukraine and Poland are the main challenges for the three countries.
"We must not only stop a military attack on Ukraine, but we must do everything to prevent such an attack," the Polish president said.
The three presidents also discuss the cooperation between their countries within the joint military brigade, LITPOLUKRBRIG, where Ukrainian troops develop skills according to the NATO standards.
The talks marked the first meeting of Ukrainian, Polish and Lithuanian presidents in the format of the Lublin Triangle, a new platform for cooperation, which envisages closer partnership between the three nations in security, economics, politics and the fight against COVID-19.
In 2014, when pro-West authorities came into power in Ukraine, Kiev abandoned its multilateral policy and set a course toward European integration. Furthermore, the parliament revoked Ukraine's non-aligned status, paving the way for its membership in military blocs.
Since then, Ukraine has strengthened cooperation with the EU and increased interactions with NATO, but neither organization has promised Kiev immediate membership. Enditem
