“Inviting Ukraine to join NATO would represent a powerful blow to the imperial identity cherished by many ordinary Russians and members of the Kremlin elite. Granting Ukraine membership of the alliance is perhaps the only way to fully convince Russian society that neither the Soviet Union nor the Russian Empire will ever be restored in any form. This would represent a huge gain for the US and for the future of international security”.

Alyona Getmanchuk, Director of New Europe Center, explains in her column why Ukrainian NATO accession would also be beneficial for the US.

The author describes the range of benefits from military practicalities to potential strategic advantages and geopolitical gains:

• the war unleashed by Vladimir Putin in February 2022 will never truly end as long as the issue of Ukraine’s NATO membership remains undecided;
• the apparent reluctance of the United States to make a clear commitment regarding future Ukrainian NATO membership sends a dangerous signal to Putin. It encourages him to believe his policy of invading and occupying neighboring countries to prevent them from joining NATO is successful and should be continued;
• Ukrainian NATO membership is the best way to protect the considerable US investment in Ukrainian security;
• As a NATO member Ukraine’s army is ideally suited to become the core of NATO’s eastern flank. This would significantly enhance European security while reducing the current military burden on the United States, potentially freeing up US forces for deployment elsewhere.

More details are in the column on the Atlantic Council via link here.