Washington Times: ‘Open door to NATO’ for Georgia, Ukraine as Pentagon chief Austin visits eastern Europe
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will stress this week that there is an “open door to NATO” for Ukraine and Georgia, the two nations on the front lines of Russian aggression, Pentagon officials said over the weekend.
Mr. Austin will visit those two countries and Romania in the coming days before traveling to Brussels for a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
Pentagon officials cast the trip as a clear signal to Moscow that the U.S. and its NATO allies stand firmly behind Ukrainian and Georgian sovereignty in the face of Russian provocations and military expansion over the past decade.
“We are reassuring and reinforcing the sovereignty of countries that are on the front lines of Russian aggression,” a senior defense official said.
Russian forces occupy pieces of Georgia and Ukraine. Moscow’s most high-profile and controversial move in the region came in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. The U.S. and many of its allies do not recognize that annexation and still consider Crimea to be a part of Ukraine.
Against that backdrop, defense officials said Mr. Austin will tell Ukrainian and Georgian leaders that there is an open door to NATO membership and that each country should take steps to qualify for membership.
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WNU Editor: Aside from ignoring Moscow's declaration that this is a "Red Line" that must not be crossed.
This is also jaw-dropping from a strategic perspective.
This “open door” to (not one, but) two walking, talking Article 5 cases that will put NATO at war with Russia on day one!
Who is making these decisions?
12 comments:
The Democrats, not content with destroying the USA, may want to destroy the world. This is certainly the way to start going about it. Keep ducking 🙉
AFAIK, to join NATO, it requires the support of all member states, and because of the way Ukraine handles minorities and ethnic groups, Hungary will (at least with the current government) veto Ukraine's application, as they stated it before.
Stupid and greed are powering Biden policy just as it powered his senate career. Since Biden is failing physically and mentally, his appointees and the bureaucracy are doing whatever they want. It’s a free for all.
Because they are calling Russia's bluff, red lines ate there to be crossed. They constantly redrawn and moved.
Who would have thought iran could rain missiles on u.s troops with intent, without a response?
The Editor is showing his anti-Ukraine, Pro-Russian bias :P
If Russia didn't want to push Ukraine to join NATO, then they shouldn't have made provocative actions and enflamed border tensions.
These so-called red lines may end up getting pushed back.
Biden like to have more and more problems, after all that's not him who will pay the price but American people.
Strategically we have far more in common with Russia than we do with China. Now is the time to work with Russia to box in China.
I have nothing in common with either Russia or China. I like democracy, a decent economy, and foes who do not get put into reeducation camps or poisoned
Uh, the education system of the USA is a re-education camp! Wake up freakshow
Schools should teach facts and I’m sad to say that’s not what’s being taught across the USA
This is dangerous posturing. And I speak as someone whose sympathies are with both countries.
The problem is the gap between intentions and capabilities. I certainly don't think Russia should have a veto against either countries' membership in NATO. But Russia has invaded both countries before and can do so again. They have escalation dominance. Possibly Ukraine might be able to stop a Russian invasion on their own provided it has massive support. But Georgia would clearly be overrun. Both could very well require direct NATO intervention to survive. It's too premature to be making provocative statements like this given the weakness of both countries.
Why risk such a crisis? Far better to encourage both countries to keep reforming, build up their militaries, become hard targets, and support them diplomatically. Russia is far less likely to intervene during that process. Eventually once they have become too strong for Russia to risk interference, NATO membership and the status of their occupied regions can be resolved.
Ukraine and Georgia may require statements from US and NATO to keep their morale up, but there are other statements and actions that can be taken to do so that won't risk pushing the Russians too far. The lower risk option is far more likely to succeed than the higher risk option even if it takes much longer to do so.
chris
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