NATO’s Next Steps
NATO Shouldn’t Give Putin an Excuse to Prolong the War
NATO leaders last week declared an intention to invite Ukraine into the alliance but declined to provide an exact timeline. If Kyiv wants to reach a peace agreement with Russia anytime soon, Senior Fellow Elizabeth Shackelford argues, that vagueness is for the best.
“Seven in 10 Russians said that NATO membership for Ukraine would threaten Russia, and preventing it is a top benefit of Russia’s military action in Ukraine,” she writes in the Chicago Tribune, citing new polling from the Council and Russia’s Levada Center. “If ending the war means Ukraine joins NATO, a lot of Russians might feel differently about their commitment to the fight.”
Read her full analysis and dig deeper into the data on our website.
The Data Dimension
Despite concerns about NATO expansion, more Russians believe the alliance has become weaker (37%) than stronger (14%) over the past year, Council-Levada Center polling finds. Meanwhile, a majority say Russia has become stronger (60%).
What We're Watching
- Costa Rica’s sustainability success: The Atlantic Council’s María Fernanda Bozmoski joins Deep Dish host Brian Hanson to discuss how the Central American nation became one of the most politically stable, environmentally sustainable, and happiest places in the world.
- The surprising bipartisanship of US foreign policy: Even in times of intense polarization, Democrats and Republicans have still found areas of agreement, Nonresident Senior Fellow Jordan Tama explains in Foreign Affairs.
- US-China diplomacy: After recent visits by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, “the relationship seems to be trending in a positive direction,” Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast writes in World Politics Review.
- Iran after Khamenei: The Supreme Leader’s son—and heir apparent—will not be the modernizing force some hope him to be, Nonresident Senior Fellow Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi argue in a piece for the Atlantic Council.
Ask an Expert
How might the NATO summit impact US President Joe Biden’s approval ratings at home?
“Biden looking presidential and respected among this coalition of NATO leaders that he organized could help him—especially compared to the NATO summit just after the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic execution of that exit. […] After all, Americans are also voting for commander in chief, not just president.”
—Senior Fellow Dina Smeltz via U.S. News and World Report
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