KIEV, April 13 (Xinhua) -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller said here on Friday that Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic goals are "realistic" if it pushes forward the needed reforms.
"It is not so idealistic for Ukraine to have Euro-Atlantic aspirations and to wish to join both -- NATO and the European Union. I think those are very important and realistic goals," Gottemoeller said during the 11th Kiev Security Forum.
At the same time, however, she emphasized that Ukraine has much work ahead to meet the criteria for NATO membership.
"Important reforms have to be carried out. They are the reforms of the defence institutions, the security institutions, the ministries," Gottemoeller said.
In 2014 when the pro-West authorities came to power in Ukraine, Kiev revoked Ukraine's non-aligned status, paving the way for joining the military blocs.
The government has defined 2020 as a benchmark for when Ukraine should achieve the NATO standards.
