The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the allies meeting in Lithuania this week will drop the Membership Action Plan requirement for Ukraine's application.

"NATO allies are set to take that step as a signal that Ukraine has made progress on its path to NATO membership," the official said.

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced on Twitter that "following intensive talks, NATO allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine's path to membership."

Kuleba welcomed this as a "long-awaited decision that shortens our path to NATO."

The MAP lays out a list of reforms required for countries seeking membership in the Western military alliance, which is massively backing Ukraine's effort to repel Russian invasion forces.

"MAP is just one of the steps in the NATO accession process," the Western official cautioned. "So even with its removal, Ukraine will still need to complete further reforms before joining NATO."

NATO was yet to comment officially on the subject ahead of its summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Divisions have emerged within NATO on how quickly to offer Ukraine membership, with the United States among those making clear that Kyiv will have to wait.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he does not expect Ukraine to actually join NATO until after the war. But Zelensky is pushing for a clear roadmap.

The summit is "the best moment to offer clarity on the invitation to Ukraine to become member," Kuleba tweeted.

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