NATO split over the idea of placing US bases in Ukraine
The idea of placing US bases in Ukraine, which appeared in the media, has already caused controversy within NATO.
Former Ambassador to Russia, ex-Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Alexander Vershbow stated this in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Alesya Batsman, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The United States has certainly done everything possible to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces with equipment, intelligence, and training. I am confident that this support will not only continue but be increased by the Biden Administration. This is a fundamental issue - Ukraine must be able to defend itself, even if it is not yet a NATO member and has not received a security guarantee from NATO.
The US administration may consider putting actual troops in Ukraine, but I think they will be concerned that this will lead to a split within NATO, where unfortunately there is no consensus in favor of directly sending troops to help Ukraine defend itself.
So indirect support is more likely. If this crisis does not end disastrously, the United States will need to begin negotiations with allies over long-term commitments to Ukraine's security even before NATO membership is possible.
In some Atlantic Council publications, I have recommended considering a permanent NATO or US presence at the Ukrainian training site so that Russians can see every day that NATO is committed to Ukraine's security and its future integration.
Some of my colleagues have suggested a presence in the port of Odessa so that there would be some kind of joint naval coordination on an ongoing basis to deter the Russians from further aggression in the Black Sea. And so concrete steps can be taken, but this does not mean that the United States will go to war for Ukraine. At the moment, allied countries are not at all ready for this,” Vershbow said.
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