Ukraine Must Join NATO After the War for Lasting Peace, Says Former US Ambassador William Taylor
William Taylor, former US Ambassador to Ukraine (2006–2009) and Chargé d’Affaires of the US to Ukraine (2019–2020), argues in The New York Times that peace in Europe depends on Ukraine’s integration into NATO once the war ends.
Taylor notes that the conflict will likely conclude when Ukraine either repels russian forces or international pressure forces russia to withdraw, or both, as President Zelenskyy has suggested. However, without NATO membership, Ukraine will remain vulnerable to future russian aggression, which has threatened its sovereignty for 300 years. Taylor asserts that Europe’s security is also at stake.
He recalls that Vladimir putin’s intent to destroy Ukraine as a nation has been evident since 2014 when russia invaded and annexed Crimea. Since February 2022, russia has intensified efforts to subjugate Ukraine through its full-scale invasion. Despite facing such brutality, Ukraine, with support from the US, Canada, Europe, and Indo-Pacific allies, has managed to hold off russian advances for over two years. Ukrainians are determined to continue their fight and, as President Biden said, they will win, but Taylor emphasizes that Ukraine needs more support now and guaranteed NATO membership after the war.
Reflecting on the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, Taylor believes the failure to secure Ukraine and Georgia’s membership path emboldened putin. russia subsequently invaded Georgia and later Ukraine. Had NATO provided stronger backing in 2008, the current war in Ukraine might have been averted. The key lesson from 2008, Taylor suggests, is that NATO membership is crucial for deterring russian aggression, and the US must act decisively at the next NATO summit in June.
Taylor acknowledges that russia will oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership, but stresses that the priority is ensuring peace and security, not appeasing moscow. In the meantime, NATO should take interim steps to integrate Ukraine, such as including Ukraine’s ambassador in the North Atlantic Council and inviting Ukrainian officers to NATO Military Committee meetings. Ukraine should also contribute to the Joint Expeditionary Force, a multinational unit led by the UK.
Most importantly, NATO should begin formal membership talks with Ukraine immediately so the country can swiftly join the alliance after the conflict ends. According to Taylor, Europe will not be secure or whole until Ukraine is part of NATO, and Ukraine will not agree to peace without that guarantee. The US has a leading role to play, and with sustained, determined, and innovative leadership, Ukraine’s NATO membership can become a reality, bringing lasting peace to Europe.
Source : NYT
~ France, Britain, Poland, Baltic States, Nordic nations, and most of Central and Eastern Europe now support Ukraine's NATO membership
The obstacle is the U.S. and Germany
The war can end if NATO accepts Ukraine, but politicians are afraid to show leadership and so people die ~
@ukrainejournal
