Description
NATO has had no formal role in the war in Ukraine, yet the war – however it eventually plays out - will have major implications for NATO. The paper will examine the interaction between NATO and the Ukraine war in five areas. First, the extent to which NATO has been a framework for coordinating wider Western policy towards the conflict. Second, the impact of the war on NATO’s plans for collective defence. Third, the impact of the war on NATO’s future enlargement, in particular the question of whether and in what circumstances Ukraine may join NATO. Fourth, the impact of the war on NATO’s policy towards Russia. Fifth, the impact of the war on perceptions of and policies towards China within NATO. The now common assumption that NATO has returned to its old functions of deterrence and defence vis-à-vis Russia, while not entirely incorrect, is too simplistic and hides many complex issues and difficult choices which NATO faces.
