On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that he considered it necessary to launch Membership Action Plan negotiations, adding that the proposals to start these negotiations by Kiev were accepted by NATO.
"My goal is to get to the point where the Alliance itself will be waiting for our request, and once it is submitted, NATO will solemnly offer Ukraine a Membership Action Plan at the next session," Prystaiko added.
Membership Action Plan is a program that is intended to assist those countries which would like to become a NATO member. The program provides for a channel for feedback for potential Alliance's members that informs them about their progress in meeting NATO requirements. Nevertheless, participation in a Membership Action Plan does not give any guarantees for the admission to NATO.
Ukraine began its cooperation with NATO soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The same year a newly independent Ukrainian state joined Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. However, with the advent of Victor Yanukovich to power in 2010, Ukraine identified a non-aligned status as a priority and ceased its cooperation with NATO. Following the Euromaidan events and snap presidential election, Ukraine renounced its non-aligned status in 2014. In June 2016, Ukrainian authorities indicated that its membership in NATO was an objective of the country's foreign policy.
