Is Ukraine just one step from NATO and victory?

Strangely enough, today we know the possible date for the beginning of our new history. A history that begins with the victory over Russian fascism and the hordes of orcs. The war may stop, and this will mean the final defeat of the Russian dictator and millions of his ignorant executors.

In Germany, in the small town of Ramstein, the fate of Ukraine and millions of Ukrainians can be determined (the Ramstein summit was postponed due to the absence of U.S. President Joe Biden).

Why do I place so much importance on Ramstein, where the West should either invite Ukraine to join NATO or accept it into its structure and end this story? Because it follows elementary logic: did you need to go to Ramstein to look Ukrainians in the eye and give them a death sentence?

The final provisions of the joint document have not yet been formulated. None of the leading figures in this action has commented on the possible results and consequences of these decisions. No one has announced the main provisions because no one knows for sure how it will end. They only sense the seriousness and scale of the action.

Let me repeat once again: if a NATO summit (a meeting of leaders) has been announced and, despite the height of the presidential election campaign, U.S. President Joe Biden himself is coming, it is not just to have a cup of tea with European leaders. Therefore, we hope for truly historic decisions that should primarily concern Ukraine.

As skeptical Ukrainians say, a little rain can come from a big cloud. It can. Can we expect something realistic, so as not to deceive ourselves with unrealized dreams? And what is being discussed today among serious but concerned experts?"

First, at the NATO summit in Ramstein, the leaders of the Euro-Atlantic Defense Alliance, convinced that Putin's rashists can only be stopped by force or the threat of force, unanimously accept Ukraine's invitation to join their alliance. 

On the same day, after brief consultations - similar to those with Sweden and Finland - they again unanimously support our country's admission to NATO, with all the ensuing consequences.

The most important thing is that while national parliaments are ratifying the agreement on granting Ukraine NATO membership, which will take months, they should provide Ukraine with all the weapons of victory that they have.

This is the simplest yet most difficult decision. It is the most difficult because not all NATO members are ready to vote for Ukraine so quickly, even in extraordinary circumstances. Decisions made by consensus, meaning with 100% support, have long ceased to be extremely effective and democratic and are now often delayed or not made at all.

Even if the leaders of the United States and leading European countries put pressure on those who are slowing down, it is uncertain that they will agree quickly, even if their country needs urgent economic or financial support from wealthier colleagues (which will be promised). This has happened in the past, for example, with Hungary and Slovakia, and with Türkiye.

Additionally, everyone will be concerned about the reaction of Russia and its current unpredictable leaders. As a result, most will likely lean toward softer and more compromise solutions.

One such compromise could be to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join NATO within its recognized legal borders, with Article 5 in effect, initially only for the controlled territories.

Alternatively, there could be an invitation to join NATO with a fixed term for accession (no later than one year), along with bold security guarantees for the controlled territories provided by the Coalition. Additionally, there should be maximum armed support with the option for Ukraine to use it at its discretion.

In both the first and second versions, Ukraine receives a NATO protective umbrella - our current and future maximum protection.

It is clear that we will not regain Donbas and Crimea now (and maybe we don't need to, for now?). All of this will be postponed indefinitely. However, we hope that with a change in political leadership in Russia, its ideological and geopolitical coordinates will change as well.

The Left Bank and Azov region remain problematic areas. The Russians are unlikely to give them up easily. They might be offered an exchange of these territories for the Kursk region. If they continue to resist this idea, they will be warned that Ukraine is now a NATO member and will receive all possible military and economic support. Sanctions against Russia will also remain in place.

These are the proposals and conditions I hope are being discussed by many diplomats and officials across the Euro-Asian continent. In my opinion, this is the best outcome we can achieve in this situation. The most important thing is joining NATO.

Of course, we will demand maximum compensation for the blood of our loved ones shed for our freedom and democracy, both Ukrainian and European. However, we must acknowledge that our situation at the front is not good, despite the heroic efforts of our soldiers. We are facing setbacks due to the incompetence of our current military and political leadership, which we elected ourselves. We are retreating, and gaining Kursk will only slightly compensate for our losses.

Source

About the author. Viktor Moroz, Ukrainian publicist, columnist.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.