Ukraine seeks to increase its contribution to NATO operations – Minister of Defense

"By joining NATO's Enhanced Opportunities Partner program, we seek to broaden the horizons of our partnership with NATO, recognizing that it's a 'two-way street': we have better opportunities, but also a commitment to common goals," Taran said.

According to him, by developing practical cooperation within the framework of NATO's Enhanced Opportunities Partner (EOP), Ukraine seeks to increase its contribution to NATO's activities and achieve the maximum level of interoperability.

Taran reminded that Ukraine was the first NATO partner to join the NATO Response Force (NRF), and since 2010 units of the Armed Forces had been on duty in the NATO Response Force. Ukraine has already declared a special task force and one IL-76 transport aircraft to NRF-2021.

The Minister of Defense assured that even in the conditions of Russian aggression, Ukraine is and will remain a reliable partner of the Alliance, which participates in NATO-led operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

On December 2, Defense Minister Andrii Taran announced that in 2021 the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to take part in 22 multinational exercises, including 8 in Ukraine and 14 abroad.