https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/world/europe/ukraine-nato-stoltenberg-russia.html

The brilliant minds and government officials at the helm of our Western defense establishment must be ready to adopt a new mascot for NATO: the Ouroborous ( according to Wikipedia, the ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail ).

To those who deal in reality, rational behavior, and pragmatic analysis, the takeaway is this: By handing Russia control over the continuation or end of hostilities against Ukraine, this nonsensical position by NATO members (including the U.S.), Mr. Putin is incentivized to prolong the conflict as long as he can.

If NATO is going to support Ukraine, but only “for the long haul,” there’s not much prospect of there being a long haul at all.

All indications are that Putin wants to establish a buffer between Russia and NATO, as he has done with Belarus, for example.  Without such a buffer, apparently (rationally or irrationally) Russia is threatened and will respond like a cornered rat.  (The irrational rat response has already been demonstrated by the threats to initiate a nuclear offensive.)

There’s only one explanation: NATO members really don’t want to have Ukraine accede to membership.  By placing the precondition on Ukraine’s membership, they can wash their hands (following the example of Pontius Pilate) and let the chips fall where they may.

“It’s not our fault — we’ve done everything we can.” 

Make up your mind and live with the consequences: either admit Ukraine and treat them like a NATO member OR stand back and let Ukraine fall under the control of the Putin faction.  Just don’t sit there and sentence Ukraine to a slow, painful, bloody demise.

You can always tell when someone can remain calm and positive in the midst of a catastrophe: it means that person has found someone else to take the blame.

Molière Citation goes to NATO leadership, for a world-class demonstration of performative pretense, likely prolonging the Russian incursion into Ukraine.