Ukraine may enter NATO even with occupied territories

The NYT reported this with reference to Western experts.

For example, Angela E. Stent, an expert on Russia and Germany and author of Putin's World, believes that Ukraine's situation is very similar to the situation in Germany after World War II, when the country was occupied and divided.

“When West Germany joined NATO, there was what you might call a monumental frozen conflict. And yet it was considered very important to anchor West Germany in the Western alliance, and so West Germany joined. The Russians complained about it and said it was very dangerous, but they were powerless to prevent it,” the expert said.

At the same time, Mary Sarotte, an expert at the Harvard Center for European Studies, noted that when West Germany joined NATO, it was not at war with East Germany, and both entities were recognized as separate states in 1949.

“Even though nobody was happy about it, there was this clear, hard border, and it provided clarity that is not present in Ukraine,” the expert said.

In the West, there is a possibility of creating demilitarized zones in Ukraine, patrolled by a coalition of NATO peacekeeping forces and other countries, such as India or China.

According to the publication, few in the West want an endless war, already fearing a decline in public support due to unlimited funding and shortages of tanks, air defense and ammunition that Ukraine needs. 

• On April 24, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said that specific mechanisms should be found to allow Ukraine to quickly integrate into NATO.