Perhaps more to the point, nobody is more reluctant to escalate Russia’s war against Ukraine into World War III than Mr. Putin himself. The Russian Army has no chance in a military confrontation with NATO; it is barely coping with the armed forces of Ukraine. So what about the risks of not inviting Ukraine to join NATO? As long as Ukraine remains in NATO limbo, Putin will attack Ukraine again and again with the hope of creating a new Russian Empire. Finally, should NATO members fail to act this week on Ukraine, the alliance will be discredited in the eyes of Ukrainians and millions of other residents of NATO member states who support inviting Ukraine to join.

---

Persons: Putin, Mr Organizations: Russian Army, NATO, Ukraine, European Union Locations: Ukraine, NATO, Vilnius, Russian, Russia