In March 2008 , under Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko , Ukraine sent an official letter of application for a Membership Action Plan ( MAP ) , the first step in joining NATO . These leaders however guaranteed their opposition that membership in any military alliance would not pass without public approval in a referendum . This idea had gained support from a number of NATO leaders , particularly those in Central and Eastern Europe . Russian leaders like Prime Minister and President-Elect Dmitry Medvedev made clear their opposition to Ukraine membership , and leading up to the April 2008 Bucharest summit their emissary actively lobbied against a Ukrainian MAP . After some debate among members at the summit , NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer declared in a press conference that Ukraine , together with Georgia , would someday join NATO , but neither would begin Membership Action Plans . At this summit , Russian President Vladimir Putin , in his last international speech before switching jobs with Medvedev , listed his grievances with NATO , and called Ukrainian membership " a direct threat " to his country
2008 Bucharest summit
2008 Bucharest summit
Enlargement of NATO