Ukraine is Joining NATO

🇺🇦 I'm happy the NATO members agreed on something regarding Ukraine's NATO membership. I believe a MAP would be better for Ukraine. A MAP would provide Ukraine with a concrete list of tasks to achieve, and a timeframe of when they could be expected to complete them. After completing the MAP, Ukraine and their supporters would have a strong argument against any objections to Ukraine's NATO membership. I think Ukraine believes that bypassing the MAP will help them become a member of NATO sooner, but that is not the case. Finland and Sweden bypassed the MAP, because they are two of the least corrupt countries in the world with really strong militaries, and yet Sweden is still hung up in the accession process for an undetermined timeframe. Ukraine, unfortunately, is on the other end of the spectrum, so the same strategy is not going to work for them. Ukraine will still have to complete all of the reforms and meet NATO standards. A MAP will make it clear what those reforms are, so a MAP will make it easier for Ukraine to get through the accession process. Without a MAP, rogue NATO members can object and block Ukraine's membership and create an endless list of tasks and goals for Ukraine to achieve, with no timeframe provided at all, leaving them in the accession process limbo for years and years. That does not seem like a good strategy to me.

I support NATO's decision. To be honest, I don't know all of the details of the NATO accession process. Perhaps there is an advantage to bypassing the MAP that I have overlooked.

xo

Response to: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/16/europe-ukraine-joining-nato-00102416