[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

After all it all boils down on declarations, promises and treaties.
The unification of Germany was agreed to Russia NATO would hold back expanding eastward. As we all know the falldown of the russian soviet state was used to do exactly that, breaking the promise.
I do not like it, but Russia/Putin has a point.

If anyone in the west decides to make Ukraine a Nato member Putin will rather invade it first.
If the west holds back letting former soviet buffer states become NATO members there is no reason for an invasion, for Russia.
Understandable.
So why not guarantee to not let Ukraine become a NATO member?

Originally Posted by Catfish

So why not publicly declare that Ukraine will not become a NATO member?
This is the guarantee Putin wants he has publicly and more than once said this.

If western leaders want to appear united and strong and they cannot even make that statement, there is no further need for discussion.

Just about sums it all up for me