Admitting Ukraine into NATO would undermine American interests

Admitting Ukraine into NATO Would Weaken U.S. Security, Eland Argues

Ukrainians seem to grasp that joining the North American Treaty Organization would provide a false sense of security--only 20 to 30 percent of Ukrainians polled want their country to join the alliance. Many U.S. foreign policy elites, however, favor admitting Ukraine into NATO. But formally extending the security umbrella to Ukraine would harm American interests, according to Independent Institute Senior Fellow Ivan Eland.

By worsening Russia's feelings of encirclement and by jeopardizing Obama's prospects for negotiating a reduction of Russia's nuclear arsenals, admitting Ukraine into NATO would exacerbate one of the worst security risks facing the American public, Eland argues in his latest op-ed. "For the United States, any showdown with Russia over the NATO-inducted Ukraine ultimately could go nuclear, thus endangering the American homeland," Eland writes.

Efforts to bring Ukraine into NATO are only the latest in a series of defense policies that undermine American interests. "In the case of the European Union, the United States is actually subsidizing economic competitors by providing for their ultimate security," Eland continues. "Already, the EU has a greater population and GDP than the United States, but spends only half of what the U.S. does on defense. Also, the EU has 12 times the GDP and 8 times the defense spending of Russia, the only potential threat in the area. The United States should withdraw from NATO and let its rich allies defend themselves."

"Don't Admit the Ukraine into NATO," by Ivan Eland (5/18/09)
The Empire Has No Clothes: U.S. Foreign Policy Exposed, by Ivan Eland
Ivan Eland on C-SPAN2. Interview by Rep. Ron Paul
Partitioning for Peace: An Exit Strategy for Iraq, by Ivan Eland
Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty, by Ivan Eland