The Risk of Letting Ukraine into NATO

Consortium News by Ivan Eland | May. 21, 2009 (Opinion)

the admission of Ukraine is not in the interests of Russia, the United States, or, surprisingly, even the Ukraine. Along with the U.S. grab for influence over Caspian Sea oil and gas pipelines and the proposed installation of missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic, the admission of the Ukraine would naturally make Russia feel encircled.

Even for the United States, however, pledging to defend Ukraine under Article V of the NATO ... Full Story »

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4.8
 by Dwight Rousu - May. 21, 2009

Eland brings reason and history together to examine the ill-conceived idea of encircling and threatening Russia instead of working cooperatively with them where possible.

Ukraine’s bid for NATO membership should be put in the wider context of whether it improves or undermines U.S. security. (Alliances are not ends in themselves.) Just continuing to push the informal U.S. Empire east while the Russian bear is weak doesn’t address this important issue.

Ukraine’s admission would mean a nearly impossible obligation to defend a country far forward in return for adding only scant military capabilities to the alliance

Polls indicate that the vast majority of Ukrainians are already well aware of the many pitfalls of joining NATO. Only 20 to 30 percent of them approve of doing so.

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