KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s parliament dropped the nation’s nonaligned status Tuesday, possibly paving the way for a bid to join NATO in defiance of the Kremlin’s wishes. Russia, meanwhile, finalized a new economic alliance with other former Soviet nations it had vainly hoped Ukraine would join.
The parallel moves reflected new divisions in Europe as Russia-West ties have plummeted to their lowest point since Cold War times over the Ukrainian crisis.
The parliament in Kiev passed the bill to drop the nonaligned status in a 303-9 vote, with supporters saying it was justified by Russian aggression toward Ukraine, including the annexation of its Crimean …read more
Source: The Epoch Times
