BRUSSELS, Sept. 1 - NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday that Ukraine's political leaders expect a new parliament to abandon the country's non-aligned status after an election next month in a possible prelude to an application to join NATO, Reuters reported.

Ukraine said on Friday it would seek the protection of NATO membership after what Kiev and its Western allies say is the open participation of the Russian military in the war in Ukraine's eastern provinces.