Parliament urges NATO to grant Membership Action Plan to Ukraine

A total of 243 MPs voted for a respective decision at a parliament meeting on Thursday, February 7, an Ukrinform correspondent said.

"The Verkhovna Rada addresses the North Atlantic Council and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the national parliaments of NATO member states with the request to support Ukraine's stated intention to gain membership of NATO, calls on the leaders of NATO member states to approve (at the alliance's anniversary summit in London in December 2019) a progressive vision of the development of relations with Ukraine, which will lead to its membership of the Organization, and formally begin with our state an individual dialogue of recommendations and practical support that will form a NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine," the statement reads.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Artur Herasymov, the leader of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction, and Maksym Burbak, the leader of the People's Front faction.

The need for such an address is motivated by a growing number of threats to Euro-Atlantic and global security as a result of the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation that deliberately violates the fundamental principles of international relations, carries out armed aggression against Ukraine and the temporary occupation of parts of its territory, poses a threat to neighboring states, and also makes attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of NATO member states and undermine their security.

"We must urge NATO to immediately initiate the formal entry procedure. Ukraine has deserved much more support from NATO. Ukraine's accession is advantageous to both parties. The Alliance already has a sufficient number of Allies who are ready to discuss this decision. We have the right to raise the question of not just Ukraine's membership of NATO, but of its accession under a simplified and expedited procedure," Burbak said, while presenting a draft resolution from the rostrum of parliament.

The Verkhovna Rada on February 7 adopted Law No. 9037 on the introduction of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the country's course for accession to the EU and NATO. The bill was supported by 335 lawmakers.