💥🌍”NATO Membership: Ukraine, Not Quite Yet!” Says Big Guy Biden🌍💥
TL;DR: 💬 Joe “The Big Guy” Biden recently pointed out Ukraine’s preemie status in the world of NATO membership, making it clear that Ukraine’s got some work to do before it can join the cool kids’ club. He stressed the need for Russia’s war in Ukraine to come to an end before any new member invitations get sent out. But hey, isn’t it about time we took a minute to think about what the expansion of NATO really means? And who really benefits? 💭🧐
💡 Now, picture this. It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon, and President Joe Biden is sitting down with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria for a chat about some pretty important stuff, like foreign policy and his trip to Lithuania for the 2023 NATO summit. Now, the juicy topic of Ukraine wanting to join NATO – the big kid’s defense alliance playground – comes up. The country is in a battle with Russia, so the timing’s not ideal, to say the least. 😲🇺🇦
Biden, being Biden, isn’t shy about expressing his thoughts. He says, “Ukraine, I don’t think you’re ready for NATO.” 🙅♂️🚫 He goes on about the importance of unity in NATO, especially with Putin doing his best to split up the gang. So, if Ukraine, in the middle of a war, were to join NATO, well, we’d all be in the war too, apparently. And who really wants that kind of drama? 🙄🔥
But here’s where it gets tricky. Ukraine can only join NATO if all members agree that it’s ready. Now back in 2008, NATO leaders were all like, “Yeah, Ukraine, you can totally join us… eventually.” But they didn’t exactly give the country a map to NATO-land, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pleas. 🤷♀️🗺️
Fast forward to now, Biden’s having a word with Zelenskyy, reassuring him that the U.S. will keep providing security and weaponry while this whole NATO membership thing is being figured out. But, Biden isn’t willing to ignore Putin’s request to promise not to admit Ukraine to NATO. The Big Guy believes in NATO’s “open-door policy,” but also thinks it’s too soon to call for a vote. There are other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and peace. 🕊️👀
Now, why should we care? Well, it’s been over 500 days since Russia launched a war against Ukraine, and the smaller nation’s people, backed by powerful countries, are putting up a fight. 🥊🌍 The stakes are high and the decision-making is hard. Biden admitted it was tough to send cluster munitions upon the Defense Department’s recommendation, but he did it to help Ukraine sustain its counteroffensive.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Is it about standing up to the big bad wolf, or being careful not to invite more chaos into our already wild world? 🐺🌎 What happens when the line between defense and aggression becomes blurrier?
🚨Remember, folks, this ain’t advice or recommendation. It’s just the word on the street. Now, let’s turn up the heat and get a conversation going. Here’s a hot potato: In your view, should NATO make room for more members in the midst of a conflict, or should peace be a prerequisite for admission? Let’s discuss! 💭🔥
