Should Ukraine join NATO or not? Young people have probably died in the TikTok challenge – father warns

Lord Lionel Ismay was a British General and the first Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO). He is credited with the quote that succinctly summarizes NATO’s purpose: “To keep the Germans down and the Russians out.” With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the appearance of the Germans was over. However, with the war in Ukraine, attempts to keep the Russians at bay as much as possible are more relevant than ever.

Next Wednesday, the traditional NATO summit will take place in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It’s about more than a traditional meeting of old friends. This time it is about a decision that is groundbreaking for NATO and especially for Europe: Should we, should we, include Ukraine in the illustrious circle?

To assess the scope of this decision, we need to look back.

In 2008 the NATO summit took place in Romania. To the surprise of the other participants, the then US president proposed to include the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Ukraine in the alliance. However, Bush was battered by the failed Iraq adventure and Europe’s strongwoman Angela Merkel found the suggestion anything but funny. He died of sudden infant death.

Vladimir Putin was also present in Romania, only as a guest, but still. At that time, the Russian president was still socially acceptable. Unlike the Western heads of state, he responded promptly and violently to the request of the then US president. Just weeks after the NATO summit, Russian troops invaded Georgia and occupied territories in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A puppet government controlled by Moscow is still in power there.

After the Maidan uprising in Kiev, Putin’s second coup followed in 2014. His “green men” occupy Crimea. The Russian president then held a pseudo-referendum and has since boldly claimed that Crimea belongs to Russia. The Kremlin brushed aside that the annexation of the peninsula was a clear violation of international law.

On the other hand, the question of Ukraine joining NATO is on the table at the NATO summit in Vilnius – and it is more prominent than ever. Everyone wants to avoid a repeat of 2008, but how to do that is a matter of debate. The fronts are currently as follows: Poland, the Baltic states and France are clearly in favor of accession, as is Turkey, surprisingly. Pro-Putin Hungary opposes it, the US hesitates and Germany plays Hamlet again.

Before we go deeper into the pros and cons, two important preliminary remarks: No one, not even Volodymyr Zelensky, is talking about accession while the war is still raging. And for once the political orientation doesn’t matter. Conservatives and leftists are equally represented on both sides of the debate.

What speaks against participation?

What’s the point of joining?

How will the heads of state decide at the NATO summit? US President Joe Biden has made it clear that he currently views accession as premature. Instead, he offers a solution for Israel in view, meaning that NATO is committed to providing military aid to Ukraine, just as the United States is currently doing to Israel. Only: Biden hesitated several times, only to admit later. This is what happened with the tank issue and then with the F-16 fighter jets. The US President has just approved the delivery of controversial cluster munitions.

It is unlikely that Ukraine will join NATO in the coming days. But given that NATO has now provided some $140 billion in military aid, President Zelenskyy is unlikely to be left out in the rain. Secretary-General Stoltenberg leaves no doubt about this: “Ukrainians have been making their choice for generations. They share our values. They are ours, from the West.”