As a practical matter, Ukraine isn’t going to be offered NATO membership any time soon. “So there is room to work if [Putin] wants to do that.”The problem is that in 2008, at the urging of then-President George W. Bush, NATO promised Ukraine membership some day. One solution, former diplomats suggest, would be for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to voluntarily postpone Ukraine’s membership bid. Thanks partly to Putin’s threats, Ukrainians increasingly support NATO membership; one recent poll found almost 60% in favor. But Putin has asked much more from the West than merely blocking Ukraine’s application for NATO membership.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 09, 2022 13:37 UTC