Ukraine’s parliament voted to enshrine its aspiration to join NATO in its constitution in 2018, a move that followed Russia’s initial military incursions into Ukrainian territory in 2014. This commitment remains despite ongoing conflict and a complex history of relations with the alliance.
Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has pursued a relationship with NATO, joining the Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and establishing the NATO-Ukraine Commission in 1997 to foster cooperation. Whereas not a member, Ukraine aimed for eventual accession throughout the 1990s and 2000s, maintaining a neutral status even as it engaged with the alliance.
The Bucharest summit in 2008 saw NATO decline to offer Ukraine a Membership Action Plan, but affirmed that Ukraine would eventually join. This position shifted during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, who in 2010 secured a parliamentary vote to reaffirm Ukraine’s neutrality, though cooperation with NATO continued. Following the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution and Russia’s subsequent annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian parliament reversed course in December 2014, again voting to seek NATO membership.
Russia has consistently opposed Ukrainian membership in NATO, and this opposition has intensified during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. NATO has increased its support for Ukraine, but maintains that Ukraine is a partner country, not a member, and is therefore not covered by the alliance’s collective defense commitments.
As of February 2026, Ukraine continues to seek membership, while Russia continues to object. NATO has not announced a timeline for potential membership, and the situation remains a key point of contention in regional security.
