KIEV, Nov. 7 - President Viktor Yushchenko said claims that Ukraine is not ready to join the World Trade Organization indicate a lack of trust in the country's potential.

"Accession to the WTO offers a chance to gain recognition on global markets and become a powerful country that is capable of ensuring its people's wellbeing. It is also an attempt to become a competitive economy," Yushchenko said in a radio address on Saturday evening.