File photo of the Ukrainian Parliament in Kiev. (Associated Press)
Ukraine's parliament took a historic step toward NATO membership on Tuesday by overwhelmingly voting to revoke the nation's neutral status, which it adopted under Russian pressure in 2010.
The Verkhovna Rada parliament voted 303-8 in favour of dropping the ex-Soviet state's "non-aligned nation" status, which prevents states from joining other military alliances.
President Petro Poroshenko has said he will apply for NATO membership due to the danger posed by Russia to Ukraine's territorial integrity.