Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), who asked Western countries to switch to a war economy for Ukraine, argued that inviting Ukraine to join the alliance would pave the way for peace. In a statement addressed to the German Tagesspiegel newspaper, Rasmussen made the following statements:[1]
“The West must supply arms and ammunition to Ukraine more quickly and extensively and move to a war economy. It is embarrassing for us that Russia, with the help of Iran and North Korea, produces more weapons than we do.”
Criticizing Germany’s refusal to deliver Taurus missiles, Rasmussen said, “I find it absurd to restrict arms supplies in this way. If Russia launches missiles from its territory, Ukraine should have the opportunity to hit these positions. I cannot understand why the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland, is still standing. It is clearly in our interest to end this war as soon as possible.” Rasmussen pointed to the urgent need to increase production capacity in the defense industry in Europe and emphasized that this is of vital importance for Ukraine. Rasmussen praised the signing of bilateral security agreements with Ukraine by Germany, France and the UK, which he saw as a clear rejection of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Western support was weakening.[2]
Referring to Ukraine’s accession to NATO, Rasmussen said, “The West will send a clear message to Putin that Ukraine will be part of the alliance no matter what. So it is not worth continuing to fight.”.[3] Rasmussen did not find the claim that Ukraine’s possible NATO membership would “lead to a war between Russia and NATO” realistic and said: “Putin knows very well that Ukraine’s weapons come from NATO countries, yet he has never attacked NATO territory. This is because he fears the reaction of his allies.” Stating that Ukraine’s membership to NATO would be an important lesson for Russia, Rasmussen emphasised that what Europe needs is a new security architecture that will ensure peace and stability, and for this, it needs Ukraine as a bulwark against Russia.
Regarding the scenarios of the second presidency of former US President Donald Trump and his latest outburst on NATO, Rasmussen stated:[4]
“I would like to agree with Trump on one point. His tough rhetoric has helped to open Europe’s eyes. 18 out of 31 European allies are now meeting the 2 per cent target. This has strengthened NATO significantly militarily, but if Trump now casts doubt on the US commitment to Article 5, it would weaken NATO enormously politically. This is in fact an invitation to Putin to test NATO’s resolve in the event of an attack if Trump becomes president.”
Rasmussen stated that it was decided at the NATO Summit in Bucharest in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia should become members, but that nothing was done to realize this and that this was very wrong. Noting that Putin was given a very weak message by the West after Russia annexed Crimea and Donbass in 2014, Rasmussen said: “Putin also closely observed that there was division in the West. Some countries wanted a stronger reaction, others were hesitant. This led Putin o miscalculate. Our hesitation to act in 2014 led to the Russian invasion in 2022.”.[5]
The upcoming elections in the US have led to debates on what the policy of the US, the hegemon of the West, will be on Ukraine in case of a change of government. Bloomberg, citing its sources in Washington, reported that Republican candidate Trump is in favor of resuming negotiations, adding that “Donald Trump is considering forcing Ukraine to negotiate with Russia over the state of the war if he returns to power next year.”
According to the sources, Trump’s advisers will start working immediately after the former President returns to the White House to organize negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. One of the sources stated that the threat of cutting military aid could bring Ukraine back to the negotiating table, while increasing aid risks only provoking Russia. In his previous statements, Trump has repeatedly criticized the foreign policy actions of the US administration and Biden himself, in particular promising to end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours if he becomes president. The Republican leader, who has also stated many times that there is a risk of World War III due to the actions of the Biden administration, described Biden’s decision to send cluster bombs to Kiev as “the catalyst for a possible World War III”.[6]
Consequently, with the renewed popularity of Donald Trump, who has long criticized NATO’s existence and functionality in parallel, in the upcoming US elections, a consolidation effort has begun within NATO within the framework of the “security of the West” concept. The large aid package approved by the EU in recent weeks after the Republicans vetoed the Ukraine aid in the US Senate was an important example of the EU’s insistence on its own agenda on the Ukraine issue against the reactions of the US public opinion. Now, former NATO Secretary General Rasmussen’s linking the final solution of the Ukrainian problem to Kiev’s NATO membership is a new indicator of this consolidation effort.
[1]“Eski NATO Genel Sekreteri Rasmussen’den Ukrayna’da barış formülü: NATO üyesi yapalım”, Sputnik, https://sputniknews.com.tr/20240221/eski-nato-genel-sekreteri-rasmussenden-ukraynada-baris-formulu-nato-uyesi-yapalim-1080958711.html, (Date of Access: 22.02.2024).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6]“Trump, başkan seçilirse Ukrayna’yı Rusya’yla müzakere yapmaya zorlayacak”, Sputnik, https://sputniknews.com.tr/20240215/trump-baskan-secilirse-ukraynayi-rusyayla-muzakere-yapmaya-zorlayacak-1080765762.html, (Date of Access: 22.02.2024).
