Ukraine to drop NATO bid?

Ukraine could drop its bid to join NATO to avoid war with Russia, the country's ambassador to Britain Vadym Prystaiko said.

Prystaiko told the BBC Ukraine was willing to be "flexible" over its goal to join the Atlantic military alliance, a move Russian President Vladimir Putin has said would be a trigger for war.

"We might," the ambassador said responding to a journalist's question about whether Kiev could change its position on aspiring to join NATO.

The diplomat specified that Kiev attempted to find the best solution to resolve the current situation in the country. He noted that if Kiev had to make such serious concessions namely abandoning its bid to join NATO, then that was what it would do.

Ukraine is not a NATO member but has a promise dating from 2008 that it will eventually be given the opportunity to join, a step that would bring the U.S.-led alliance to Russia's border