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Ukraine’s parliament voted in December 2014 to seek NATO membership, a move prompted by Russia’s occupation and annexation of Crimea and subsequent military intervention in eastern Ukraine. This followed a period of neutrality, reaffirmed as recently as 2010 under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, despite earlier aspirations to join the alliance during the 1990s and 2000s. The shift in Ukraine’s stance reflects a complex history of engagement with NATO, beginning in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ukraine initially joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1994, and the NATO-Ukraine Commission was established in 1997 to foster closer ties. In 2005, Ukraine entered NATO’s Intensified Dialogue program, a step towards potential membership. Although, at the 2008 Bucharest summit, NATO declined to offer Ukraine a Membership Action Plan, stating only that the country would eventually join the alliance. Following the 2014 revolution that ousted Yanukovych, and Russia’s subsequent actions, Ukraine’s parliament again voted to pursue NATO membership, and in 2018, enshrined this goal in its constitution. Despite this, Ukraine is not currently a member of NATO, but remains a partner country, cooperating closely with the alliance without the security guarantees afforded to member states. NATO has consistently condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine and affirmed its support for the country’s sovereignty, with several member states providing military assistance independently. Russian opposition to Ukraine’s potential NATO membership has intensified during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. In late 2021, a significant Russian military buildup around Ukraine preceded further escalation of the conflict. NATO continues to provide support to Ukraine, but has not offered a clear timeline for potential membership. The alliance has affirmed its open-door policy, but any decision regarding Ukraine’s accession requires unanimous consent from all existing NATO members.