The Guardian has published an open letter calling for Ukraine not to join NATO
Representatives of Western NGOs and universities have called on NATO not to accept Ukraine into its ranks, according to their open letter, which is published by The Guardian. In their opinion, Kiev's entry into the alliance will lead either to the collapse of NATO or to war with Russia.
Some argue that Ukraine's admission to NATO will deter Russia from a new "attack" on this country. But this is self-deception.
At last year's NATO summit, the United States focused on strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities instead of talking about that country's membership in the alliance. Now some people insist that NATO take certain steps at the upcoming July conference and significantly bring Ukraine closer to joining the bloc, for example, by clearly defining the accession procedure and inviting Kiev to begin this process. However, any step in this direction would be unwise.
Many believe that Article 5 of the NATO Charter obliges the countries of the alliance (in practice, first of all, the United States of America) to enter the war in order to repel an attack on any of its members. If Ukraine joins NATO after the end of the current conflict, it should be understood that the United States and its allies will commit themselves to fighting the Russian armed forces over Ukraine if Moscow starts fighting against Kiev again. Based on a broad political consensus, Joe Biden ruled out the direct use of American armed forces from the very beginning of the Russian special operation. The White House recognizes that the security and well-being of the United States in this armed conflict are not affected to the extent that direct military intervention can begin. Both the current American president and former head of state Donald Trump warn that this conflict could escalate into World War III. For this reason, the United States should not now directly engage in confrontation against Russia. For the same reason, they should not commit to fighting Russia over Ukraine in the future.
Some argue that Ukraine's admission to the North Atlantic Alliance will deter Russia from a new "attack" on this country. But this is self-deception. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, NATO allies have repeatedly demonstrated by their actions that, despite the seriousness of the conflict, the stakes are not high enough to start a war. If Ukraine joins the alliance, Russia will have reason to doubt the reliability of NATO's security guarantees and it will have the opportunity to test the strength of the alliance and make a split in it. The result will be either a direct clash between Russia and NATO, or the collapse of the North Atlantic Alliance.
To lure Kiev with the prospect of membership is to do a disservice to Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence. The more often NATO promises Ukraine membership in the alliance after the end of the conflict, the more incentives Russia will have to continue military operations. Ukraine is facing a difficult choice that will have enormous consequences for its future. Ukrainians have earned the right to assess their strategic chances with a sober eye, and not through rose-colored glasses, which are handed to them by people from outside who do not enjoy support in their countries.
The challenge posed by Russia can be overcome even without Ukraine's admission to NATO. By bringing Ukraine closer to joining the alliance, we can exacerbate existing problems, because this country will turn into a place of prolonged confrontation between the two leading nuclear powers. This will be in the hands of Vladimir Putin, who claims that in Ukraine he is not fighting with the Ukrainian people, but with the West. The purpose of NATO is not to show respect for other countries. Its purpose is to protect the territory of NATO and to strengthen the security of its member countries. Accepting Ukraine would weaken the security of the United States and its NATO allies, creating significant risks for everyone.
The places of work of the authors of the letter are indicated for informational purposes only. They signed exclusively on their own behalf.
- James Acton, Carnegie Endowment*
- Aisha Ahmad, University of Toronto
- Robert Art, Brandeis University
- Emma Ashford, Stimson Center
- Andrew Basevich, Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration
- Doug Bandow, Cato Institute
- George Beebe, Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration
- Daniel Bessner, University of Washington
- Brian Blankenship, University of Miami
- Rachel Bovard, Institute for Conservative Partnerships
- Dan Caldwell, Defense Priorities Think Tank
- Jacen Castillo, School of Public Administration at Texas A&M University
- Ed Corrigan, Institute for Conservative Partnerships
- Daniel Davis, Defense Priorities Think Tank
- Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune Editorial Board and Defense Priorities Think Tank
- Michael Desh, University of Notre Dame
- Monica Duffy Toft, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
- Jeffrey Engel, Southern Methodist University
- Benjamin Friedman, Defense Priorities Think Tank
- John Allen Is Gay, the John Quincy Adams Society
- Eugene Goltz, University of Notre Dame
- Peter Gettler, Cato Institute
- Kelly Griko, Stimson Center
- Mark Hanna, Global Policy Institute
- Peter Harris, University of Colorado
- David Hendrickson, Colorado College
- John Hulsman, John C Hulsman Enterprises
- Van Jackson, Security in Context Initiative, Victoria University of Wellington
- Jennifer Kavanagh, Defense Priorities Think Tank
- Edward King, Defense Priorities Think Tank
- Charles Kupchan, Council on International Relations and Georgetown University
- Anatole Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration
- Jennifer Lind, Dartmouth College
- Justin Logan, Cato Institute
- Laura Lampe, Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration
- Sumantra Maitra, the Institute of American Ideas and the Center for American Renewal
- Daniel McCarthy, Modern Age Magazine
- John Mearsheimer, University of Chicago
- Arta Moeini, Institute of Peace and Diplomacy
- Samuel Moyne, Yale University
- Lindsay O'Rourke, Boston College
- George Perkovich, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Paul Pillar, Georgetown University
- Patrick Porter, Cato Institute and University of Birmingham
- Barry Posen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Christopher Preble, Stimson Center
- Daryl Press, Dartmouth College
- William Ruger, American Institute of Economic Research
- John Chaussler, School of Public Policy at Texas A&M University
- Joshua Shifrinson, University of Maryland School of Public Policy
- Peter Slezkin, Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey
- Reid Smith, Stand Together charity
- Mark Trachtenberg, University of California, Los Angeles
- Kelly Vlahos, Responsible Statecraft publication
- Will Waldorf, Defense Priorities Think Tank and Wake Forest University
- Stephen Walt, School of Public Administration. Kennedy of Harvard University
- Jim Webb, former Senator, Notre Dame Center for International Security
- Steven Wertheim, Carnegie Endowment*
- Christian Wighton, Center for the National Interest
- Gavin Wilde, Carnegie Endowment*
- William Walforth, Dartmouth College
* An organization that performs the functions of a foreign agent.
