NATO renews membership vow to Ukraine, pledges arms and aidBUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — NATO doubled down Tuesday on its commitment to one day include Ukraine, a pledge that some officials and analysts believe helped prompt Russia’s invasion this year.Uneasy calm grips Ukraine as West prepares winter aidTorture allegations mount in aftermath of Kherson occupationUkraine's 'Invincibility' centers offer refuge, resilienceRussia says nuclear talks with US delayed amid differencesStoltenberg said NATO expansion would not be hindered.“I think what he’s afraid of is democracy and freedom, and that’s the main challenge for him.”Ukraine applied for “accelerated accession” to NATO on Sept. 30 but will not join anytime soon.. With the Crimean Peninsula annexed, and Russian troops and pro-Moscow separatists holding parts of the south and east, it’s not clear what Ukraine’s borders would even look like.In a statement, the ministers vowed to help Ukraine rebuild once the war is over, saying: “we will continue to strengthen our partnership with Ukraine as it advances its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”Ukraine, for its part, called for more supplies of weapons to defend itself with, and quickly.Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said Tuesday on his Telegram channel: “If, as Stoltenberg hinted, NATO supplies the Kyiv fanatics with Patriot complexes along with NATO personnel, they will immediately become a legitimate target of our armed forces."