Ukraine Needs Hard Security Guarantees, NATO Membership Preferred

PONARS Eurasia, June 2022

Petro Burkovskyi
Democratic Initiatives foundation  

Olexiy Haran
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

Kyiv is carrying the bloody burden of the European war alone, though with significant western support. To prevent Ukraine’s and Europe’s failure in what appears to be a long-term struggle with Russia it is necessary to recognize and accept the necessity of the real security guarantees. It does not mean that Kyiv should refuse from moving to NATO membership. As in the case of highly likely quick accession of Finland and Sweden, Ukraine must have the same possibility to join NATO to counterbalance Russian threats of another war in the future.