On the 21st of April 2023, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said to the media press that ‘all NATO members support Ukraine becoming a member'. He also acknowledged that once the war ends in Ukraine, Kyiv must have ‘the deterrence to prevent new attacks from any other member state’.
Mr Stoltenberg spoke about continuing the support to Ukraine during his first visit to Kyiv since the invasion commenced over a year ago.
Indeed, the war only escalated starting last year but the first move was seen way back in 2014 after the Orange Revolution came alive. Since then, the escalation has been a concern for NATO but not to the level that exists today. The drawback of the US in Afghanistan has shown Russia that the US is in chaos and allows Russia, along with China, to undermine the US in its capabilities. The withdrawal can be seen as one of the reasons why Russia has decided to conduct its special military operation now and then later.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dimitry Peskov, has alleged the ‘special military operation’ was also formed to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO in the first place. Kremlin sees NATO as a threat and the expansion of the borders with NATO will not only cause additional threats to NATO but the security of Russia and the Russian people.
If Ukraine joins NATO fully during the conflict, it could escalate the situation. Causing unnecessary tensions between Russia and NATO members. This will give Russia an excuse to create more conflict towards other NATO members as "an attack on one member is an attack on all members". The reaction from the NATO members can be seen as a cause of concern for citizens as there has been a rise of aggression towards Russia from NATO as well. This rise of aggression can be seen in their support for Ukraine by sending ammunition, NATO troops, and sending nuclear tank shells and special forces that once were denied by NATO states. This was found in the documents that were published in the recent Pentagon files.
Currently, Finland has joined NATO in recent months, gaining full support from NATO members.
Finland's participation in NATO will allow it to increase its budget which will fund the efforts in Ukraine and increase military capability in NATO states. Finland’s commitments to NATO have caused Russia to place nuclear arms and weapons closer to the border where previously, there were none.
Since 2008, NATO acknowledge that Ukraine would be allowed to join as a member, but it never proceeded to apply fully. Until 2014, it was only considered a potential member but since the Orange Revolution, things have changed.
Edited by: Rhea Jimmy
Share This Post On
0 comments
Leave a comment
You need to login to leave a comment. Log-in
