NEWTOWN, Conn. - On December 23, Ukraine's parliament voted against the country's non-aligned status with the goal of eventually gaining NATO membership.
Despite this, Ukraine's ascension into the organization is still a long way off. President Petro Poroshenko has pledged to seek membership but it is unclear when Kiev will actually apply.
In the meantime, parliament's vote has upset Russia. According to Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, the move is "counterproductive" and will only exacerbate tensions between Kiev and the pro-Russian separatist groups in eastern Ukraine. Kiev adopted a non-aligned status in June 2010 under Russian pressure. The law has prevented Ukraine from joining any military alliance, including NATO.