NATO is the world’s most successful military alliance. For 75 years, almost a billion people have found security in their country’s membership in NATO, which provides protection in the alliance’s Article 5 pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all. When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, NATO allies came to our country’s support, triggered by Article 5 for the first and only time in history.
NATO will celebrate its 75th anniversary in July 2024 – the right moment in time to invite Ukraine to begin the membership accession process. Inviting Ukraine to join NATO this year would send a powerful message of assurance to Ukraine and a serious warning to Russia that its invasion of Ukraine has led to a dramatic and unified decision by this global alliance. In December 2024, the leaders of the European Union initiated talks with Ukraine about joining their organization. This is one of the most significant goals of Zelensky’s government and has been a priority of the Ukrainian people since the “Revolution of Dignity” in 2014. For 10 years, Ukrainians have made it clear that they treasure their independence and no longer want Russian interference in their internal affairs. The European Union’s message affirmed this passion: Ukraine belongs in the heart of Europe. The next step now is becoming a member of NATO.
From the beginning of the war in February 2022, and repeated on the same day as the European Union’s positive welcome toward Ukraine, Putin made it clear that Ukraine does not have the right to exist and belongs under Russian control. Total subjugation of Ukraine drives the autocratic policies of Putin’s National Security Council and its continuing brutality of the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian people.
Andriy Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has co-authored an article entitled “Victory Is Ukraine’s Only True Path to Peace,” and it makes a strong argument that Americans need to hear:
“A prosperous Ukraine that is a part of the EU (European Union) can act as a bulwark against an autocratic and aggressive Russia. Ideologically, a successful and vibrant democracy in Ukraine is also a strong rebuke of Putin’s autocratic rule . . . Long term security guarantees and EU membership would go a long way toward protecting Ukraine, but neither can replace Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty . . . Bringing Ukraine into NATO remains the best way to bring lasting peace and security in Europe . . . The time has come to issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO. This does not mean that Ukraine would become a member overnight, but it would send an unequivocal message to Putin that his war is already lost.”
NATO’s anniversary celebration in our nation’s capital presents an important opportunity for President Biden and other U.S. decisionmakers to take bold actions. For the last two years, American leaders have delayed making tough decisions about new weapons systems and resupplying the Ukrainians with needed ammunition in a timely manner, as well as holding to restrictions on the use of American systems to counter Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. The last time NATO leaders discussed Ukraine’ s desire to join NATO, the United States and Germany blocked this effort. The decision at July’s meeting of NATO’s leaders must be: “Invite Ukraine In.”
Let us acknowledge the difficult sacrifices Ukraine has made with the deaths of at least 31,000 of their soldiers – estimated to be many more than Ukraine has admitted. Making this invitation to Ukraine will clearly answer the question for Putin about outlasting his opponent in Kyiv. As Zelensky’s key advisor Yermak has made clear: “Only then is there a possibility of a sustainable peace.” Russia is feeling a fuller impact of the war with the dramatic increases in key supplies from the West. This is a turning point in the war, and “the Kremlin is not ready for it,” according to Pavel K. Baev of the Brookings Institution.
We must not let the presidential election – and the media’s focus on the behavior of our previous president – stand in the way of taking action to ensure Ukraine’s freedom from Russian occupation. Let’s end the war by bringing Ukraine into NATO. Please take the time to send a letter to President Biden letting him know that you want this done now. If this is your first time writing to a U.S. President: Send a typed or (even better) handwritten letter to President Joseph Biden, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20500.
For those of you who would benefit from more information about NATO, its history, and its track record, there are many helpful online sources; one such resource is the Wilson Center, available at NATO@75.