A bill to grant Ukraine “NATO Plus” status has been introduced in the US Congress. A group of influential Republicans in the US House of Representatives has initiated this bill in order to guarantee Ukraine’s independence by strengthening its Defense (GUARD) Act of 2022, which proposes granting Ukraine’s NATO status and sanctions against Nord Stream 2. The bill will provide Ukraine with the military and diplomatic support it needs in the face of Russia’s destabilizing military build-up on its territory and around its borders. The legislation will also hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his aggression by imposing an immediate sanction on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to prevent it from being commissioned, said the press release.