The People's Line

The People's Line

Ukraine and the NATO bluff

The dangerous foreign policy gamble that the blob can't admit it's making.

Carl Beijer's avatar
Carl Beijer
Feb 14, 2022
∙ Paid
Antiwar graffiti in Kyiv. Photo by author.

Debates over a potential war with Russia have gravitated, among academics and sundry wonks, towards the question of whether or not Ukraine should be admitted into NATO. Opponents of war almost universally argue that it should not; meanwhile, blob academics like Ulrich Speck argue that

taking Ukraine's NATO membership off the table won't solve the problem. It might instead encourage Putin to push harder, believing that the West is weak. Only thing that might work: deterrence.

There are all kinds of simple problems with this argument, but what I find particularly maddening is that it’s all based on a lie.

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Carl Beijer.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Carl Beijer · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture