A prominent American politician and former US ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor, is calling on the States and other NATO members to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance when the war eventually ends.
Points of attention
- Ukraine's membership in NATO can save Europe from a major war.
- The diplomat emphasizes the need for international community pressure on Russia.
- Analyzing NATO's 2008 Bucharest Summit, Taylor points to missed opportunities.
In the USA, there are many supporters of Ukraine's integration into NATO
William Taylor draws attention to the fact that the Ukrainian people long for a just and lasting peace
However, as the diplomat notes, this cannot be implemented unless Ukraine joins the Alliance.
When the war ends, Ukraine should become a member of NATO. And the end of the conflict will happen either as a result of Ukraine expelling the Russian invaders, or if the international community pressures Russia to end the war, or as a result of both options — as President Zelenskyi proposes — the American politician emphasized.
According to Taylor, until Ukraine becomes a member of the Alliance, it will never be protected from Russian aggression — a threat that has haunted it for 300 years.
He also warned that all of Europe would not be safe either.
The diplomat emphasized that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin aims to destroy Ukraine.
Ukraine could already become a member of NATO
William Taylor also provides a detailed analysis of the 2008 NATO Bucharest summit.
As you know, many political scientists and analysts cite it as an argument that the Alliance will never agree to accept Ukraine (and Georgia).
According to the diplomat, it was then that the United States had the opportunity to convince the allies, who hesitated, if they had started this work earlier and shown more persistence.
At a meeting of US ambassadors to Europe in Washington in late 2007, I recall asking then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice if we would support the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine at the Bucharest summit. She let it be known somewhat uncertainly that she did not. So some allies, including Germany, got that signal and decided to oppose it — primarily because they thought that would be the US position, — recalls William Taylor.
