NATO: Stop Talking, Start Fighting for Peace—Invite Ukraine to the Table Now

 

The United States and NATO must prove their backbone by inviting Ukraine into the alliance, or admit that they prefer watching another sovereign nation burn rather than risk upsetting a despotic gas station called Russia.

When it comes to securing peace in Europe, playing small won't help anyone. Much like taking shelter under an umbrella in a tornado, the current Western strategy with Ukraine is full of commendable rhetoric but lacks the fortitude needed to change the course of history. The invitation for Ukraine to join NATO isn't just a strategic move; it’s a moral imperative and the only way for the West to definitively win the peace in Europe.

The United States and its NATO allies are currently dangling the carrot of membership in front of Ukraine, promising an "irreversible path" to NATO without issuing a concrete invitation. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently reaffirmed that Ukraine will eventually join NATO, but only "when allies agree, and conditions are met"—which sounds more like diplomatic foot-dragging than a true commitment. Meanwhile, Russia continues to throw its full weight against Ukraine, emboldened by the absence of decisive Western military guarantees. Essentially, Russia reads hesitation as weakness, which is exactly why inviting Ukraine into NATO is crucial now—not later when it's too late to deter Moscow's ambitions.

History is filled with similar moments where indecision invited disaster. The Munich Agreement of 1938, where the appeasement of Nazi Germany under the guise of maintaining peace led to the eventual outbreak of World War II, stands as an ominous reminder. When it comes to expansionist authoritarian regimes, the lesson has always been: you don't buy peace by conceding territory, you buy more conflict. The same principles are at play here. Inviting Ukraine to NATO would create the definitive line in the sand that Russia simply cannot cross without facing the wrath of the world's most powerful military alliance.

Russia’s track record proves one thing: it will push as far as it can until stopped. From the annexation of Crimea in 2014 to the most recent invasion, Moscow has shown nothing but contempt for Ukrainian sovereignty. The United States and Europe must invite Ukraine into NATO not just because it makes military sense but because it restores the very integrity of the international rule of law, which Putin’s regime continually disregards. If Ukraine remains outside NATO, it sends a chilling message to other vulnerable nations on Russia’s periphery: alliances are more of a bargaining chip than a reliable guarantee.

Contrary to the fears that such a move would escalate the conflict, inviting Ukraine into NATO would actually deter Russian aggression. Let’s not forget what happened in June 2023 when Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, openly marched towards Moscow—Putin’s supposed invincibility was shaken, his government rattled by the mere sight of armed dissent. Russia, at its core, operates on maintaining an illusion of control. That illusion would shatter under the weight of NATO's unified might should it openly defend Ukraine.

Consider also that NATO’s defense ministers have already approved comprehensive defense plans, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Cold War. These plans are explicitly designed to counter the twin threats of Russia and terrorism. Instead of shying away, NATO must seize this moment of strength and demonstrate that Ukraine, having withstood over a decade of Russian aggression, is worthy of the alliance's guarantees. By welcoming Ukraine, NATO wouldn’t just strengthen its eastern flank; it would also bring Europe’s most battle-hardened army into the fold, an asset that Russia has no equivalent of.

It’s true that some NATO members like Germany and Slovakia have expressed reservations about Ukraine joining the alliance during an active conflict. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and others have argued that Ukraine's immediate accession isn't realistic while it's at war. This hesitance, however, is shortsighted. It’s precisely because Ukraine is in an active conflict that the need for security guarantees is most urgent. To borrow from Winston Churchill, "an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile—hoping it will eat him last." The NATO allies must not become appeasers by default; they must invite Ukraine into the alliance and present a unified front, making it unequivocally clear that any further territorial ambitions by Russia will be met with formidable resistance.

One of the more significant recent developments is NATO's decision to expedite Ukraine’s membership by bypassing the lengthy Membership Action Plan process, a two-step mechanism that countries typically go through before joining the alliance. In this case, Ukraine will follow a one-step process—an acknowledgment that Ukraine has already demonstrated its value and commitment to Western principles. This streamlined membership path is a crucial step, but it must be followed by immediate action. An actual invitation, not vague promises, is what’s needed to end the cycle of escalation and bring about a stable Europe.

NATO's $43 billion military aid to Ukraine is a monumental commitment, but without a formal invitation to join the alliance, it's akin to giving someone a life jacket but refusing to pull them onto the rescue boat. NATO leaders have promised that Ukraine is on an "irreversible path" towards membership, but it’s time to pick up the pace and make this a reality. The West has already supplied billions in aid, military training, and modern weaponry to Kyiv, helping them transition away from Soviet-era equipment. However, none of this will matter if Russia’s threat isn’t mitigated through a concrete guarantee like NATO membership.

Furthermore, the longer Ukraine is kept in NATO’s waiting room, the longer Europe’s peace remains precarious. For every Ukrainian soldier who falls on the frontlines, the West loses an ally ready to fight for the principles of democracy and freedom. By extending NATO’s shield over Ukraine, not only does the alliance stand to gain the loyalty of a country already paying the price for those values, but it also sends an unequivocal message to Russia and other authoritarian states: aggression will no longer be tolerated, and any attack on Ukraine will be treated as an attack on NATO itself.

Vladimir Putin, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and others thrive on the West's hesitance. They understand power in one form—force. A formal NATO invitation to Ukraine would not be a provocation; it would be a deterrent, preventing a potential expansion of war beyond Ukrainian borders into Europe proper. It’s time the West stopped merely reacting and started shaping the battlefield, not through war but through definitive and bold actions.

The irony of the West claiming to be the most peaceful and powerful military alliance while hesitating to use that power effectively should not be lost on anyone. If the West believes in the values it preaches, it’s time to show some backbone. Peace in Europe won’t come from tiptoeing around Putin’s "red lines." It will come from drawing our own—and enforcing them without hesitation.

Watching from the sidelines as Russia wages its imperial fantasies is more than just pathetic—it's an insult to the ideals that NATO claims to stand for. It’s high time for the alliance to make the right move: extend a hand to Ukraine, pull them onto the boat, and together chart a course for enduring peace. Otherwise, NATO risks becoming that shiny, state-of-the-art life jacket no one bothered to use—an expensive piece of equipment left to rust while the storm rages on.