NATO Membership -- Ukraine's Golden Grail

"But before that [proposed Western troop deployment in Ukraine], we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO."

"Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else."

"No doubt a diplomatic resolution would save lives."

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

 

"He wants to have a ceasefire. He wants to make peace. We didn't talk about the details."

"I'm formulating a concept of how to end that ridiculous war."

U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump 

AP Photo

 

Between that proverbial rock and a hard place, where Kyiv must acknowledge that Russia is now gaining momentum in its attacks on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy has stated he is open to the potential deployment of Western troops in Ukraine for the purpose of guaranteeing Ukrainian security, part of a broad move to end the Russian-inflicted war on Ukraine. Had Ukraine been accepted as a member of NATO, as Mr. Zelenskyy so passionately advocated for, the war, now heading into its third year, would have been over just as soon as it began, given the NATO assurance compact with its members that an attack on one is an attack on all.

This second-best scenario is not the one that Mr. Zelenskyy envisioned when his troops far beyond international expectations was giving as good as it got, with drones and missiles sent just beyond the border into Russia, and with the  use of Ukraine-manufactured drones, right into central Russia, as far as Moscow itself. With a military not close to the size of Russia's and with far fewer munitions, despite the generosity of Ukraine's Western allies, and even though the Ukrainian military has been responding in a far more professional military manner than their Russian counterparts, sheer superiority in numbers rule.

The proposed deployment would, in effect, have a double purpose; protecting the Ukrainian geography while also representing a step toward the outcome desired by Kyiv; Ukraine joining NATO finally. International efforts focused on a way of ending the conflict, at a time when Moscow has gained an upper hand. President-elect Donald Trump aspires to bring a ceasefire into effect, meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy in Paris. Reflecting the reality that President Biden remains in the White House  until the January20 transition, a meeting between the two is planned with respect to hastening NATO membership for Ukraine.

The issue of NATO membership which President Vladimir Putin cites as his main reason for attacking Ukraine (aside from his claims of liberating the Ukrainian population from its 'neo-Nazi' government) has divided the 52-nation group as a contentious issue. NATO declared at a Washington summit in July that Ukraine was on an 'irreversible' path to membership, yet still hesitates to invite Ukraine to join for the time being. An ill-starred larger regional conflict with Russia haunts many leaders of NATO countries.

Ukraine's borders would require clear demarcation before it could join, to eliminate any possibilities of error regarding where the alliance's pact of mutual defence would proceed. Roughly one-fifth of Ukraine at present is controlled by the Russian invasion consolidating its occupation. An onslaught by Russian forces on the eastern Donetsk region has been wearing on Ukraine's forces, creating a weakening of Kyiv's defences. 

According to President Zelenskyy, Russia launched close to 500 powerful guided bombs, over 400 attack drones and  almost 20 missiles of various kinds against Ukraine over the past week alone. The latest U.S. military aid of close to $1 billion has encouraged Kyiv, however, earning the U.S. Zelenskyy's gratitude.

Photo: Financial Times