NATO Weighs Ukraine's Membership Bid Amid Russian Tensions

The UK would be "very supportive" of Ukraine's fast-tracked accession to NATO, skipping the Membership Action Plan (MAP), according to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The MAP was launched in 1999 to help aspiring countries meet NATO standards and prepare for future membership. The move would act as a compromise between Eastern European allies, who want Ukraine to be given immediate membership, and other Western countries, which fear accepting Ukraine into NATO would worsen tensions with Russia and believe Kyiv still needs to tackle issues such as corruption.