(VOVworld) - Ukraine's parliament voted Tuesday to abandon the country's non-aligned status, signaling a step toward NATO membership.

President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine needs a new guarantee of security (Photo:AFP)

The bill, proposed by Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, was backed by 303 votes. Ukraine's lawmakers weighed a total of four similar bills, each of which envisaged the abandonment of non-bloc status and a turn towards NATO rapprochement that will bolster Ukraine’s defense and security. Poroshenko said his administration will seek to meet all the criteria of NATO membership, adding that a decision on the issue should be taken through a national referendum.