Ukraine’s survival and security can only be ensured in one of two ways: either with NATO membership or with nuclear weapons. That was the stark message Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered at a European Council summit in Brussels earlier this month.
Zelensky later clarified his remarks at a press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, saying that Ukraine is not “building nuclear weapons,” and that “there is no stronger security guarantee” for Ukraine than NATO membership.
As Russia continues to make steady gains in Ukraine’s Donbas region, and as thousands of North Korean troops arrived to assist in Moscow’s war of aggression, Zelensky’s comments highlighted the limited security options for Ukraine as the war approaches the 1,000-day mark.
So what are Ukraine’s real options? And how much is the West willing to do?
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with journalist and longtime Russia-watcher Casey Michel, author of the newly published and must-read book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World, and James Sherr, Honorary Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security and Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House. Enjoy…
SHOW NOTES
The audio clips opening the podcast and the second segment came from a press conference by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the European Council in Brussels on October 17. The translations are as follows:
“Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons and that will be our protection or we should have some sort of alliance. Apart from NATO, today we do not know any effective alliances.”
“NATO countries are not at war. People are all alive in NATO countries. And thank God. That is why we choose NATO. Not nuclear weapons. We choose NATO.”
Casey Michel’s new book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World can be purchased here. His 2021 book American Kleptocracy: How The US Created the Greatest Money Laundering Machine in History can be purchased here. Casey’s published works can be accessed here.
James Sherr’s recently published work can be accessed here and here.
The Power Vertical Newsletter on Substack can be accessed here. Recently published work by Brian Whitmore can be accessed here, here, and here.