Ukraine abolishes its non-aligned status – law

Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

The Ukrainian Parliament, Verkhovna Rada, has adopted amendments to the laws regulating the country’s domestic and foreign policy, as well as national security principles, repealing Ukraine’s non-aligned status.

The bill, submitted by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last week, was supported by 303 MPs.

An explanatory note to the document says that Ukraine’s non-aligned status has turned out to be ineffective from the point of view of maintaining the country’s security.

«Ukraine’s non-aligned status, which is documented in the law „On the principles of domestic and foreign policy“ has turned out to be ineffective in the context of protecting the security of our state from foreign aggression and pressure,» the note says.

The note explains the decision to repeal Ukraine’s non-aligned status as being the result of Russia’s policy toward this country.

«The Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by it, an ongoing so-called „hybrid war“ against our state, military interference in the eastern regions of Ukraine and constant military, political, economic and media pressure on the part of Russia justify the need to look for more effective guarantees of the independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Ukraine,» it said.