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Specialists Warn Against Ukraine NATO Membership in Letter

State of the Union: Ukraine’s relationship to the bloc will be discussed at NATO’s summit next week.
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Organized by Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment, and William Ruger, the president of the American Institute for Economic Research, the 60 experts have signed a letter published Wednesday warning against the use of next week’s upcoming NATO summit to push Ukrainian NATO membership. 

The letter says including Ukraine in the pact would give Kiev a security guarantee that could lead to World War III and commit the U.S. to fighting Russia in any future Russia–Ukraine conflict. The letter argues that Ukrainian NATO membership “would reduce the security of the United States and NATO Allies, at considerable risk to all.” The letter also calls into doubt whether Ukrainian NATO membership would deter a future conflict. 

The letter argues that Ukraine's incorporation into NATO will not serve to deter Russia in the future. The letter claims that the sooner Ukrainian NATO membership is taken off the table, the sooner peace can be established. 

The letter deprecates emotive arguments for Ukrainian NATO membership: “The purpose of NATO is not to signal esteem for other countries; it is to defend NATO territory and strengthen the security of NATO members.”

The letter included signatories from across the political spectrum, including the former Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), the international relations theorist John Measheimer, the foreign affairs expert John C. Hulsman, and William Ruger. Sumantra Maitra, a senior editor at The American Conservative, was also a signatory.