ISSUE BRIEF: Pushing For Ukraine’s NATO Membership Threatens to Derail an End to the WarTOPLINE POINTSAmerica’s NATO allies are contemplating fast-tracking NATO membership for Ukraine “after the war” has ended. Granting Ukraine NATO membership in this context threatens to derail peace efforts toward a permanent end state while also risking an American military engagement with Russia. Reaching a negotiated end state in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is possible, but it will require moving beyond the provocative NATO membership optionU.S. Despite President Zelensky’s pleas for a fast-tracked membership, President Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg favor the option of waiting until “after the war” to initiate Ukraine’s NATO membership. The incentive the U.S. could offer Ukraine would be promoting the policy that in lieu of Ukraine’s NATO membership, the U.S. will implement bilateral security agreements, thereby guaranteeing collective defensive measures without playing the provocative NATO membership card.

Source: Washington Post November 02, 2023 22:12 UTC