Bill in Kyiv Seeks to Restore Neutral Status and Strip NATO Goal From Ukraine’s Constitution
A bill submitted to Ukraine’s parliament would amend the constitution to define the country as neutral and remove NATO membership as a state goal, while keeping the course toward the European Union. The proposal lands as Western officials say NATO accession is not currently on the table and as Kyiv braces for new Russian strikes.
Ukraine’s parliament is being asked to rewrite the country’s strategic orientation into law.
A bill submitted to the Verkhovna Rada proposes amending the constitution to enshrine Ukraine’s neutral status. The change would remove the existing reference to a course toward NATO membership while preserving the clause that commits the state to European Union integration.
Under the current text, Ukraine’s constitution mentions both NATO and the EU as strategic directions. The new proposal would keep the European Union point and delete any mention of the alliance. Deputies behind the bill present it as a way to define neutrality in the basic law, although the full article language has not been published in the supplied material.
The move comes as some Western politicians argue that NATO membership for Ukraine is not a live issue. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, for example, has said that “NATO membership is not on the table as we speak” and that the focus is on ending the conflict with Russia.
Inside Ukraine, the debate over constitutional neutrality is unfolding while the country prepares for what President Volodymyr Zelensky describes as a massive new Russian strike. He has said Ukrainian intelligence obtained updated information on Russian preparations and that timelines are set for completing a significant part of the defensive tasks, with the most urgent measures already under way.
How the bill advances through committee, how major parliamentary blocs respond and whether Zelensky embraces, opposes or ignores it will determine whether this remains a symbolic proposal or becomes a core part of any eventual settlement framework.
External reactions will also matter. Signals from Moscow, Washington and Brussels about Ukraine’s constitutional debate will show whether they see it as a serious shift in Kyiv’s long-term alignment or a tactical step taken under wartime pressure.
Sources
- OSINT