KIEV, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who is on a visit to Washington, said Wednesday that the United States has a clear view on Ukraine joining NATO.

"They hold a very clear stance that Ukraine is moving towards NATO and that Ukraine eventually needs (NATO) membership," Ukrainian state-run Ukrinform news agency quoted him as saying.

Yatsenyuk pointed out that Ukraine's accession to NATO is impossible without the full consensus of the alliance.

The leader of Ukraine's People's Front party arrived in Washington Tuesday on a two-day visit. He will hold talks with U.S. Congressmen as well as representatives of the U.S. Security Council and the Pentagon.

Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1991 shortly after gaining independence from the former Soviet Union.

In 2003, it announced it would seek NATO membership but revoked the policy in 2010, declaring a non-aligned status instead.

But last year Kiev resumed the effort, pledging to implement reforms in its security, defense, justice and anti-corruption sectors.

Ukraine has set itself the target of meeting NATO membership standards by 2020.