President Joe Biden’s promise last week to admit Ukraine after the conclusion of the war will make it harder to negotiate an end to the war. It also could force America to send troops to fight Russia in Ukraine if fighting resumes after a ceasefire or peace agreement.
NATO members agreed at the Vilnius Summit to expedite membership for Ukraine but declined to provide a timeline. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO will issue Ukraine an invitation to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially condemned this position as “unprecedented and absurd” because he wanted a concrete timeline for NATO membership with clear requirements for his country to meet. Zelensky later moderated his position, however, probably because he recognized NATO’s membership offer and promises of security commitments were still significant wins for his country.
Biden said Ukraine is not ready for NATO membership and that admitting the country while it was at war with Russia could start a third world war. But the president also stated that Ukrainian membership in NATO is inevitable after the war ends, saying during his visit to Finland, “It’s about when they can join, and they will join NATO.”
So how can NATO membership for Ukraine be off the table while the war is still raging, but not later, when the war could easily resume after a ceasefire or peace agreement is violated?
This decision ignores Putin’s adamant opposition to Ukraine joining NATO for supposed security
