by times news cr

Ukraine could become a NATO member if Western countries show determination, says Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

He stated this in an article for Politico.

According to Coffey, US President-elect Donald Trump intends to bring about an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, but his plan to ensure a just and sustainable peace remains vague.

The most effective scenario, according to the expert, would be to provide Ukraine with the weapons and resources necessary to regain control over its internationally recognized 1991 borders. However, the current policy of the United States and its allies is to provide assistance only sufficient to maintain defensive capabilities, but not to achieve a decisive victory.

Coffey emphasizes that responsibility for this approach lies with the West, not Kyiv. At the same time, any settlement of the conflict must take into account two key aspects: justice for Ukraine and reliable mechanisms for protection against future Russian aggression.

Ukraine’s membership in NATO as a guarantor of security

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky recently made it clear that ending the “hot phase” of the war could be achieved in exchange for the country joining NATO. This controversial but potentially effective move requires careful analysis.

Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance can:

  • Deter further Russian aggression;
  • Ensure equitable distribution of defense costs among allies;
  • Create a stable basis for lasting peace in Eastern Europe.

Even if, as a result of the negotiations, part of the Ukrainian territory remains under Russian control, there is the possibility of Ukraine’s integration into NATO with the condition that Article 5, regarding collective defense, would apply only to territories not under occupation.

Three steps to implementing your strategy

Coffey suggests three key steps to achieve this goal:

Official statement of Ukraine on the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes.

Kyiv could repeat the step of West Germany, which, before joining NATO in 1954, pledged to resolve territorial issues exclusively by peaceful means.

Recognition of the entire internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.

Collective security guarantees would only apply to territories liberated from Russian occupation, consistent with NATO practice in other regions such as the Falkland Islands or French territories.

Temporary adjustment to Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Changing NATO’s geographic area of ​​responsibility will temporarily exclude occupied territories from the sphere of collective defense. Similar changes previously applied to Greece, Turkey and France.

Coffey notes that NATO’s 1995 study on enlargement did not require full resolution of territorial disputes for membership. It only recommends a peaceful resolution of such conflicts, which can be taken into account, but will not become a decisive factor.

The examples of Estonia and Croatia, which joined NATO with unresolved territorial disputes, show that this strategy is quite feasible.

Earlier, Kursor reported that Putin would agree to Ukraine joining NATO under one condition.

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