JRL NEWSWATCH: “For NATO, Ukraine’s Status Is the Elephant in the Room” – Newsweek
“… [T]here is a long-standing NATO policy … that countries aspiring to join NATO must first resolve their territorial disputes. … [L]et’s assume … that Ukraine’s counteroffensive plays out … with a Russian defeat. … [and] that Russia withdraws … from Ukrainian territory, including Crimea …. NATO will then have to deal with the Ukraine question … [with] three broad options at its disposal. First, it can … settle for the status-quo. … reiterating yet again that Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member at some undefined time …. Second, it could offer Ukraine an action plan on the road to actual membership. … The third and least risky option would be for NATO to settle on an arrangement short of full membership for Ukraine but still sufficiently robust to boost Kyiv’s defenses. … turning Ukraine into a ‘porcupine’ or providing Kyiv with … NATO-standard weapons systems, military technology, and training ….”