Ukraine's top national security official was openly pessimistic on his country's chances of joining NATO in the next decade at least, according to a Wednesday Interfax news agency report. Petro Poroshenko, Chairman of Ukraine's National Security Council, in an interview frankly admitted the majority of Ukrainians do not support their country's becoming a member of the Atlantic alliance, reported dpa. "According to polls, if we held a national referendum today (on Ukraine joining NATO), only 30 to 35 per cent would be in favour. "That means this government cannot support trying to join NATO at the present," Poroshenko said. Poroshenko's comments were the most open statement yet by a member of Ukraine's new reform government that, though the country wants closer relations with the E.U., it has no intention of joining NATO any time soon. --More 2347 Local Time 2047 GMT
