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NATO nations look past Ukraine offensive to long-term deterrence pacts

The evolving proposals would represent an alternative to the divisive prospect of granting Ukraine’s admission into NATO in the near term

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June 1, 2023 at 6:38 p.m. EDT
German-made Leopard tanks sit in a hangar in Tournais, Belgium, in January. (Yves Herman/Reuters)
8 min

OSLO — The Biden administration and its NATO allies are developing plans for securing ongoing military support to Ukraine beyond the country’s current offensive, hoping that long-term security pacts will create a strong deterrent against future Russian aggression and potentially alter the battlefield calculus of President Vladimir Putin.

The evolving proposals represent an alternative to granting Ukraine admission into NATO in the near term, a prospect that has divided member states between those who support Kyiv’s request for immediate entry into the Western military alliance and those who fear it could plunge the bloc into direct conflict with Russia.