Ukraine Should Meet NATO Standards to Join Alliance: UK Foreign Office

It would be necessary for Ukraine to achieve the standards expected of the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally and be able to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership before being invited to join, according to a source at the UK Foreign Office.

LONDON, December 23 (Sputnik) – Ukraine needs to meet the standards of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) before it is invited to join the alliance, a source at the UK Foreign Office told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill cancelling the country's non-aligned status and confirming Ukraine's intention to join NATO.

"It would be necessary for Ukraine to achieve the standards expected of an Ally and be able to undertake the commitments and obligations of membership before being invited to join the Alliance. We continue to recognise the Distinctive Partnership that NATO shares with Ukraine through the NATO-Ukraine Commission and value their contributions to Alliance operations," the source said.

The source added that the United Kingdom continued to support the "open door" policy, according to which a country should decide on its own whether to pursue NATO membership or not.

"The decision over whether to seek NATO membership is a matter for the people of Ukraine," the source said.

Ukraine's non-aligned status was established in 2010 by a law signed by then-president Viktor Yanukovych, stipulating that Ukraine would not seek membership of military-political alliances.

However, the new Kiev authorities have renewed the drive toward NATO membership since an armed conflict broke out in southeastern Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly warned Kiev that a non-aligned status is in the best interests of the Ukrainian people, their neighbors and Europe.

Ukraine's NATO bid has prompted a mixed reaction from the alliance, with the majority of NATO officials saying the country was not ready to join the bloc and urging Kiev to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing membership.