Inviting Ukraine to NATO could end Russia’s imperial ambitions; Ukraine’s path to membership will be difficult but is possible.

Inviting Ukraine to NATO could end Russia’s imperial ambitions and prove that in the modern world, autocracies cannot defeat democratic systems, says Andrius Kubilius, a member of the European Parliament.

“Inviting Ukraine to membership could be a very powerful signal to Putin and the Russians that they need to forget about Ukraine. That’s it, Ukraine has gone to the West,” Kubilius noted.

If Russia loses control over Ukraine, it will have a chance to evolve into a democracy, so inviting Ukraine to NATO would also have a very powerful impact on Russia’s development.

“If the Russian Federation can turn into a normal country, then the security architecture of Europe will be somewhat different,” Kubilius concluded.

AFPC President Herman Pirchner noted that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership will continue to be difficult but not impossible. It will mostly depend on the new US president and their team.