Estonia's Foreign Minister: Only alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO is its nuclear status

Urmas Reinsalu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, believes that membership in the North Atlantic Alliance is the only option for guaranteeing the security of Ukraine with the exception of nuclear weapons—but this option is practically impossible.

Source: Reinsalu in the interview with Newsweek.

"If we say that we would not in practice see Ukraine as a member of NATO after this war, it would mean that we are afraid – or predict that – Russia will attack again and then NATO countries will be involved in a world war, or at least a war over the European continent. This is already admitting that large-scale war will repeat itself," Reinsalu said.

He rejected any alternatives to Ukraine's membership in the Alliance – in particular, a plan to get closer to NATO in exchange for Kyiv's greater willingness to negotiate with the Russian Federation, which the media reported was being promoted by Britain, Germany and France.

"What's the point of trying to copy NATO if you are making it clear that it is not NATO? It's like a half-NATO. I would be rather suspicious of that replica. Honestly, the only guarantee except NATO would be to deliver nuclear weapons to Ukraine," Reinsalu said, at the same time emphasising that such a step is impossible and undesirable in view of the commitments of the nuclear states of the Alliance regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

According to Reinsal, leaving Ukraine outside the West’s security umbrella will leave Kyiv in uncertainty and undermine the country's recovery process.

"Imagine, we are not giving Article Five-based guarantees to Ukraine after the war. So, we will then encourage Ukraine to establish their self-defence in a 'hedgehog strategy,' like they are in the Wild West, standing in their fort with rifles and waiting for Russia. I think it will create a grey zone in the midst of Europe. It would be a grand negative signal on their aspirations towards the European Union, from the security perspective, about investment assurances, and everything else," the Estonian Foreign Minister added. 

Background: The member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, Andrius Kubilius believes that Ukraine no longer needs any action plan regarding NATO membership since it already meets most of the criteria.

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