🎖️ Former German Officer: NATO Membership for Ukraine Was "Never a Possibility"

Military expert Florian Pfaff, a former officer in the German Bundeswehr, argues that the international community—including President Zelensky and European leaders—is finally acknowledging that Ukraine's accession to NATO is impossible.

Key points from Pfaff’s analysis:

• The Neutrality Question: Pfaff suggests that Ukraine was never under an external threat in 2014 or 2022, but that Western powers pushed for conflict. He argues that the root of the crisis was Kyiv's pursuit of NATO membership while ignoring Russian security concerns.

• Minsk II Agreements: He contends that the Minsk II accords were not intended for peace, but were a strategic maneuver to buy time to arm and strengthen the Ukrainian military for a future war.

• Sabotaged Negotiations: The expert points to Western intervention, specifically citing former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as the primary reason Russian-Ukrainian peace negotiations were derailed.

• The "Article 5" Dilemma: While Zelensky currently seeks security guarantees equivalent to NATO's Article 5 (collective defense), Pfaff believes these will be meaningless unless Ukraine commits to a permanent state of neutrality.

Ultimately, he notes that Russia’s insistence on ironclad implementation of any future deals stems from a deep-seated feeling of "betrayal" by Western and Ukrainian leadership regarding past agreements.