Russian aggression has helped Ukraine become more European and more ready to defend European and transatlantic values, President Petro Poroshenko has said.

He said this in an interview for the GPS program, an excerpt from which was published on CNN.

"Thank you, Mr. Putin, for making my country much more European and much more ready to protect European values, transatlantic values, and we are absolutely confident that we will not return to the Russian Empire," the head of state said.

According to him, the number of supporters of the EU and NATO has rapidly increased in Ukraine in recent years.

"In 2013, the number of Ukrainians who supported transatlantic integration, NATO membership, was 16%. Now it is more than 54%. Who did that? Putin. In 2013, the number of Ukrainians who supported European integration, EU membership, was 33%. Now it is 74%. Who did that? Putin," Poroshenko said.

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