As NATO members prepare to meet in Lithuania, an expert says such a solution is unlikely as the Ukrainian president calls on his country to join the alliance.
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In an interview with LCN, Luc Laliberté, an expert on American policy, commented on the departure of US President Joe Biden, declaring that Ukraine is not ready to join NATO.
“Mr. Biden is cautious. Mr. Biden is pragmatic on this file,” said Mr. Laliberte.
For an expert on American politics, Joe Biden’s statement is primarily strategic. If NATO speeds up the process and quickly accepts Ukraine into its ranks, it will reinforce Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sense of being surrounded by NATO.
“Sending a message that we’re going to allow Ukraine to join NATO sends a message to Mr. Putin to get involved in this conflict, to stay on the ground and stay there as long as possible,” explains Luc Laliberte.
The latter also notes that there is already disagreement among NATO members over Ukraine’s membership.
Additionally, under NATO’s Article 5, member states must declare war on Russia if Ukraine joins the alliance.
“In a very short period of time, it will engage everyone at the same level or almost in an automatic reaction,” says Mr. Laliberte.
Nevertheless, President Zelensky is far from losing everything, the expert believes. By seeking membership and additional support, the Ukrainian leader has already received, and will continue to receive, more ammunition and assistance from NATO countries.
“In the short term, it was really a pipe dream to expect to join the ranks of NATO,” says Luc Laliberte.
Watch the video above to watch the full interview.
