The Verkhovnaya Rada of Ukraine appealed to the US Congress with a request to consider the issue of granting Kiev the status of the main ally outside NATO and the conclusion of a defense agreement. The corresponding appeal was supported, in the second attempt, by 232 MPs at the necessary minimum of 226 votes. 

The document notes that the countries that are in the ‘state of peace’ (Australia, New Zealand and Japan), and those that are ‘under threat of military action’ (South Korea, Afghanistan or Israel) have the status of the main US ally outside NATO. 

At the same time, unlike the issue of Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, giving it the status of the main ally outside NATO is the sovereign right of the US, that is, it does not require the consent of all NATO countries.

The document states that granting Ukraine such status will have a huge impact on the cessation of the «Russian aggression», of which Kiev constantly accuses Moscow. 

Russia has repeatedly called such accusations unacceptable, stating that it is not a party to the conflict in Donbass and is interested in the speediest crisis overcoming by Ukraine. 

Earlier, the President Poroshenko announced his intention to hold a referendum on Ukraine's accession to NATO, and, according to him, more than half of Ukrainians already support this idea. However, a poll conducted by the Gallup, an American public opinion institute, shows that the majority of Ukrainians (35%) consider the alliance a threat, and less than a third of respondents (29%) see protection in it.

According to: РИА Новости