This year, the NATO summit takes on a special significance. The main concern centers on what assurances can be given to Ukraine to open the door for its eventual membership in the military alliance, as dignitaries from North America and Europe congregate in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
There is a heated argument behind closed doors, with some officials arguing that admitting Ukraine while its conflict with Russia is ongoing would be an impassable barrier. They contend that postponing discussions until the end of hostilities is essential since accepting a member state with seized areas entails an excessive risk for the rest of NATO.
The accession of West Germany to NATO during its division and ongoing territorial conflicts offers a historical analogy that resolves these issues. Using the West German example as a possible way to get Ukraine out of its situation is gaining support in several European capitals and strategic circles inside Ukraine.
Olena Halushka, a board member of the Anti-Corruption Action Center in Ukraine, reaffirms Ukraine’s unwavering position that receiving a NATO invitation in Vilnius is essential. She underlines that Ukraine would have plenty of time to reestablish control over its entire territory between accepting the invitation and joining as a full member.
However, West Germany offers a persuasive example of how countries with occupied regions might join NATO if this goal remains difficult, as many Western analysts fear.
The Western region of Germany joined the alliance in 1955, while East Germany sat under Soviet rule. It eventually rebuilt and prospered under NATO’s watchful eye without giving up its hopes for reunification. The reunion occurred quietly after the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989, easing the paralyzing fears of a nuclear conflict. Some claim that the current fears may be just as overdone.
Integrating Ukrainian territory under Ukrainian government control into NATO is at the heart of the debate since it would discourage further Russian incursions and firmly establish it as a reality for Moscow. This strategy would also protect Ukraine’s right to subsequently if circumstances permit, reunite with its occupied territory.
