At this week’s NATO Summit in Vilnius, the alliance kicked the can down the road once more by inviting Ukraine to join in the future, while denying it entry in the immediate term. Ukraine and its most ardent supporters, meanwhile, have demanded the alliance offer it membership, or at least a clear path to it.
More cautious leaders, like French President Emmanuel Macron, have proposed to offer Kyiv vaguer security guarantees instead—meaning some type of promise to protect Ukraine if it is attacked. And despite stating that Ukraine is not yet ready for inclusion in NATO, United States President Joe Biden insists on maintaining an open door for its membership in the future.
All these proposals are dangerously misguided. The U.S. should not offer Ukraine security guarantees of any sort—and certainly not NATO membership—now or when the war is over.
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