In the discussion of Ukraine’s security concerns some so called experts, who pay little attention to details, have suggested a special option for Ukraine. This should serve as an alternative pursuant to U.S. legislation and resulting from American, German, French reluctance to somehow offend the Russians and allow for Ukraine’s NATO membership. This so called option is Major Non-NATO Ally Status (MNNA). People genuinely concerned with Ukraine’s security may be fooled by this status similarly to assurances given under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994. The U.S. law on MNNA is not an option for Ukraine nor is it an alternative to NATO membership. Frankly it is a ruse.
This attempt to trick Ukraine has been suggested even by alleged friends. Since many are well informed or should be like the members of the notorious US intelligence front, the Atlantic Council are well informed, I can only infer that their trickery or treachery is intentional. Not surprising is the Council’s piece entitled “Biden and Ukraine: A Strategy for the New Administration” wherein six recognized Council members suggest deepening Ukraine’s integration with NATO by “granting Ukraine major non-NATO ally status under US law.” My message to them is: do not help Ukraine and stop pretending to be honest brokers.
This ruse is exacerbated by the fact that the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of American and the Ukrainian World Congress are receptive to the suggestions of the Atlantic Council working with the Council in several projects. The UWC even funds the Atlantic Council. I suppose that US intelligence should thank the Canadians at the UWC.
With Ukraine’s hopes dashed at the recent NATO Summit by disingenuous repeat language dating back to the 2008 Bucharest Summit about the process and reform, Ukraine’s willingness to accept this concession prize is being suggested by American intelligence through the Council. This may serve as temporary satiation albeit with absolutely no tangible result. The quest for Ukraine’s NATO membership would become either an entirely moot point or one which may reawaken when it is much too late..
Because this status has been presented over and over, and not only by the Atlantic Council but such other US intelligence fronts as the lesser known US-Ukraine Foundation, perhaps its should be briefly analyzed to put it to rest. There are no European countries with this status. Why? Because NATO is considered the defense alliance for European states. NATO also means security in addition to equipment and training. MNNA is a status which enables US allies to receive military and economic privileges, excess defense articles, loans, purchase depleted uranium ammunition and pursue cooperative training. Because the law is entirely silent on security guarantees, meaning it doe not decline security verbatim, a status recipient may be misled until it is too late.
Hopefully learning a lesson from Brussels once again, Ukraine and its diaspora communities will recognize the following: NATO membership is the only option; there is no alternative; Ukraine must arm to the teeth in the uncertain interim; Merkel and Macron are not friends and should be removed as brokers in any further conflict negotiations or at the very least supplemented by Boris Johnson and, I hesitate to suggest, a lukewarm friend Joe Biden; Ukrainian communities in France and Germany should work avidly to remove Merkel and her party and Macron from office in their respective countries; President Biden should be given another chance but with very clear admonishment that to date in his term he has done nothing for Ukraine and therefore if this continues, no Ukrainian American has reason to support him.
President Zelensky while respectful of the international community should make it abundantly clear that Ukraine feels abandoned by the international community and resents any trickery to fool Ukraine as by the Budapest Memorandum. Furthermore President Zelensky should ensure without necessarily putting the West on notice that Ukraine will exploit every opportunity to secure its sovereignty and territorial integrity short of exploring a return to nuclear status, but including but not limited to selling or buying military equipment to or from countries not considered allies of the West.
The UCCA must insist upon a meeting with President Biden himself (no surrogate) at the White House. Otherwise the Ukrainian American community should consider the Biden Administration not representative of that community and yet another Russian appeaser. A shameless Joe Biden at his NATO press conference responding to the last questions specifically on Ukraine, suggested that democratic issues and corruption were the reason Ukraine was not extended an invitation for NATO membership now. I suppose that Joe knows about corruption in Ukraine since his own son was a part of the problem. I hope Hunter’s corruption is not attributed to Ukraine by his father. By the way, a good number of NATO members are less democratic and more corrupt than Ukraine. Some are even blatantly autocratic. After the Summit a disappointed President Zelensky stated that Ukraine is more ready for NATO than most NATO members. Joe Biden knows this, yet he insists on being an appeaser and a disingenuous politician. This is not the Joe Biden I voted for.
June 14, 2021 Askold S. Lozynskyj