The democratization and decentralization of power is a key priority for Ukrainian authorities, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during his annual address to the country’s parliament on Thursday.

“We cherish democracy because we believe in it, because it is our values. Ukraine may only follow democracy, otherwise we will cease to exist…Therefore, I remained on the platform of the parliamentary presidential republic as the first president not to take on all the powers onto myself, but will share them with the society in the frameworks of the strategic course to decentralization,” Poroshenko said.

Petro Poroshenko added that decentralization and federalization have nothing in common.

“Decentralization has nothing in common with federalization. Ukraine was, is, and will be a unitary government.”

According to Poroshenko, decentralization of power does not include defense, national security, foreign policy, or the fight against corruption.