Boris Johnson: NATO’s ambiguity on Ukraine’s membership ended in total disaster

The Washington Post on Monday published an opinion story by Boris Johnson, former U.K. prime minister, in which he insists that “Ukrainians should be given everything they need to finish this war, as quickly as possible, and we should begin the process of admitting Ukraine to NATO, and begin it now.”

“Well, we tried creative ambiguity, and see where it got us. For decades, we have used diplomatic doublespeak on the subject of NATO and Ukraine — and it has ended in total disaster.

“We spent years telling Ukrainians that we have an “open door” policy in NATO, and that they have the right to “choose their own destiny,” and that Russia should not be able to exercise a veto.

“And all that time we have overtly signaled to Moscow that Ukraine is never going to join the alliance — because so many NATO members will simply exercise their veto themselves,” the story, titled “Putin has paved the way for Ukrainian membership in NATO,” begins.

The result of this policy, “when we went out of our way not to provoke Putin,” according to Johnson, is Europe’s worst war in 80 years and “countless lives, homes, hopes and dreams” destroyed by Putin.

“Along the way, he has vaporized the case against Ukrainian membership of NATO,” the former PM notes, pointing out that “support for NATO membership in Ukraine is now stratospheric — 83 percent.”

As for Ukraine’s alleged military incompatibility with NATO – as people used to claim – Johnson mentions a “dizzying variety of equipment from NATO countries” used by Ukrainians with skill and bravery.

“There is absolutely nothing that NATO could teach Ukrainians about fighting a war — in fact, there is a lot that they could teach us,” he says.

“For the sake of stability and peace, Ukraine now needs clarity about its position in the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. All our dodging and weaving has ended in slaughter.

“Ukrainians should be given everything they need to finish this war, as quickly as possible, and we should begin the process of admitting Ukraine to NATO, and begin it now,” Johnson concludes.

Read the whole story here.