A NATO expert has warned that there are “significant risks” with Ukraine joining the alliance which could push Vladimir Putin into making a serious decision.
Moscow has maintained their stance that they do not want NATO on their borders, but the war in Ukraine has pushed Norway to join and Sweden is still trying to join the alliance.
Should Ukraine join NATO then this could push Putin in to a corner and launch a “tactical nuclear strike” on the Ukrainian capital.
Some NATO allies are wanting the war to end before Ukraine can be allowed to join the alliance, but The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said in Lithuania that Kyiv’s “rightful place” is in NATO.
Read more on Russia-Ukraine war:
Sunak declares in Lithuania that Ukraine’s ‘rightful place’ is in NATO and urges allies to make ‘progress’
During the two-day summit in Lithuania Sunak is urging NATO allies to make “demonstrable progress” and set out when Ukraine can join the alliance.
Dr Gavin Hall who is a NATO expert told the Daily Mail, “There are significant risks with whatever decision NATO takes – though I suspect it will seek to find language that enables sufficient wriggle room, without a firm commitment, but reasserting that Ukraine will join NATO.
“For Ukraine, to be admitted or have its membership announced at Vilnius then there would have to be sufficient belief that Russia would immediately cease all hostile action in Ukraine. I doubt that.”
The NATO expert added, “The worst case – Russia is so threatened by Ukraine in NATO that it launches a tactical nuclear strike on Kyiv… but again, the likelihood is 0.01%.
“The reality is that there is no best or worst-case scenario – just a confused situation, where past statements are effectively constraining future actions.”
Professor Neil MacFarlane said the response from Putin is “unknown,” adding, “What I think we do know is that nobody wants to die in a nuclear war.”
