 Ukrainian soldiers on the eastern frontlines have called on NATO to invite Ukraine to join the alliance saying the Russian threat will remain even if the war they are fighting now ends. Speaking ahead of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, soldiers who spent the last several months fighting battles against Russian troops that invaded Ukraine in February last year said the country's eastern neighbor has never been a peaceful state. Russia is a country which has been arming itself throughout its entire history, it has always been on a warpath. They may be thick, but they draw conclusions, they modernize. One should not underestimate them, they should be seen as a strong adversary, Bulgar, a marine infantryman who gave only his call sign, said. His comrade-in-arms, call sign Povar, said he has just recovered from wounds he suffered as his unit, part of the 35th Marine Brigade, battled on Ukraine's southeastern frontline. I hope this will be the last war in Ukraine. That we finally put a full stop to this 300-year long war, Povar said, referring to Ukraine's long and bloody struggle for independence from Moscow. But like Bulgar, he said the Russian threat will not go away. When we have such a miserable neighbor, then we need to join some kind of alliance, join the civilized world, to have serious support and serious partners, he said. Kiev sees membership as the ultimate deterrent against Russia attacking Ukraine again after a illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in February last year. When we have such a miserable neighbor, then we really need to join some kind of alliance to the civilized world, to have serious support and serious partners. I hope this will be the last war in Ukraine. We will finally put a full stop to this 300-year long war, that it will not happen again. But you know, if you want peace, you need to prepare for war, someone has said this phrase for a long time. We understand that we need partners and we need help, so that we are not alone. If there will be such a situation in the future, it will be solved much faster than now. The Russian army is not enough, it will last once. And the European Union will not be able to operate. NATO wants such a military force as the Armed Forces of Ukraine to be in their alliance. They have already seen what we are for the guys, what we are for the people, what we are really for the people. Are we going to be in the alliance of NATO? Well, it seems to me that after this war NATO will have to learn from us how to be in this war. Because if you take it, then with such a massive use of artillery and aircraft, this block of NATO will be destroyed. It is a country that has been fighting for all its life, all its existence. They were not stupid, but they are still making some conclusions. They are not stupid, but they are still making some conclusions. They are not stupid, but they are still making some conclusions. They modernize something, so they do not need to be underestimated. They need to be put as a strong supporter. If we had NATO before this, then this war would not have happened. I think so. Therefore, if we can, then I hope that we will be a member of NATO. I think that the Russian army will not be able to operate. I think that NATO will have a huge benefit for Ukraine. Because it is a great family that supports NATO. And so, thanks to NATO, they are very grateful to them for helping us, working with us, learning from our people. In this situation, it is a very necessary for us. I am sorry. I understand that it is not all at once, but the faster, the better.