True. Still, doesn't change the fact that NATO membership is a decision to be made purely between the current NATO and the prospective NATO member.Nations don't have a "right" to be in NATO. It is an alliance that was designed for mutual defense against Russia (the USSR). If making someone a member doesn't serve that interest, then they shouldn't be made a member.
Not exactly, its more like going for nukes. It does make a country safe once it happens, but there is a very dangerous "now or never" moment when the hostile neighbor realizes one is going for nukes and they aren't ready yet.Nations don't have a "right" to be in NATO. It is an alliance that was designed for mutual defense against Russia (the USSR). If making someone a member doesn't serve that interest, then they shouldn't be made a member.
In the case of Ukraine, trying to become a member makes them LESS safe from Russia because Russia was very clear it would go to war with Ukraine to prevent it.
In the case of NATO, trying to get Ukraine to be a member makes them LESS safe from Russia because of exactly what is happening right now and the expected consequences.
But it never was about NATO. That NATO is the core issue here is a talking point pushed by Russia and friends, to cover for the true motivations involved, which are... far less PR friendly.Bit of a spoiler at this point, but Ukraine was never going to be allowed to join NATO in any short amount of time, because Russia made it plain that it would invade should it try. And so the West has slowly tried to arm and empower Ukraine. Troop training, Javelins, Stingers, and lots of other cool toys. With Russia decaying strength, it would only be a matter of time before Russia would not be able to take or hold Ukraine. Right now, holding Ukraine is somewhat questionable for the Russians.
Bringing NATO into the fold makes no sense, not unless you want to start a war with Russia. Either by provoking Russia into a war or by using it as a springboard to assault Moscow and cut Russia off from the Black Sea.
That's why they had to rein in Yanukovych, in a very harsh manner at that, when he wanted to go for a fairly popular association treaty with the EU, which in a turn of irony severely contributed to him getting overthrown for being a Russian puppet.
There was no talk of NATO then, so why did they do that?
A quote from Strategic Vision
It cannot be stressed enough that without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be an empire, but with Ukraine suborned and then subordinated, Russia automatically b...
www.goodreads.com
Russia does want to have it, and is doing everything that it would be expected to do in process of making it a puppet state.
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