Quote:
Originally Posted by Cappy
My counter:
1. Russia gets the #### out of Ukraine
2. Ukraine can do whatever it wants as an independent nation.
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That would be ideal, but a peace deal could eventually be negotiated without Ukraine being the only party negotiating with Russia. In fact, they could end up being a third party between NATO and Russia deciding what it best. That is the curse of being a relatively small power caught between two superpowers.
If NATO decides that excluding Ukraine from the alliance is a bargaining chip to avoid an escalation, then Ukraine's will as an independent country to join the alliance isn't their chip to throw.
I'm with you though, I definitely hope that Russia leaves with nothing. In reality, I think they have invested too much into this to leave empty handed and they will escalate things horrifically to other countries if they don't get some kind of gains. If that happens, NATO will try to pressure some kind of settlement.