Biden considers alternative to NATO membership for Ukraine.

President Joe Biden is "open" to removing the Membership Action Plan (MAP) requirement for Ukraine's entry into NATO, according to two U.S. officials. The MAP requires a candidate nation to make military and democratic reforms before a determination of membership can be made. By removing that requirement, Ukraine would still need to make some pro-democracy changes, but alliance members could at any point afterward unanimously welcome Kyiv into the club. The proposal is a compromise, improving Ukraine's chances of accession after the war, but some allied members want Ukraine to become a member imminently, while others fear that welcoming Ukraine soon would further exacerbate strained relations with Russia.