国际英语新闻:Ukrainian president asks parliament to add NATO, EU aspirations to constitution by spring

KIEV, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday urged the parliament to add Ukraine's intention to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) to the constitution by spring.

"I would insist that in February the Verkhovna Rada must approve the constitutional amendments in the second reading and they should enter into force," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.

Last month, the Ukrainian parliament approved in the first reading a bill on including Ukraine's goal to join NATO and the EU in the constitution.

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.

Over the past four years, Ukraine has strengthened cooperation with the EU and increased interactions with NATO, but neither organization has promised Kiev near-term membership prospects.