[dahdum]

I don't see the same thing as you. Everyone knows that NATO will deny Ukraine's application if they make one because it requires all 30 countries to accept it. Biden has slow rolled the process, publicly supporting their potential "application" but helping prevent them from doing so. France, Germany, and others are very hard no's as far as I remember. They're afraid to poke Russia and dislike Ukraine in general.

Whatever Putin's ultimate goals, I think NATO has already accepted they are fait accompli, but will still pump out some empty rhetoric to quell their conscience.

Any sanctions down the road will be a joke, Europe is too reliant on Russian gas to do more than sabre rattling.

[everybodyknows]

> France, Germany, and others are very hard no's ...

Is this on the record? Haven't heard them affirm it publicly.

[dahdum]

Germany has blocked 3rd path arms shipments to Ukraine and is bypassing Ukraine with a gas pipeline directly to Russia. Something like half of Germans supported the Crimea annexation and their Head of Navy had to resign after causing international outcry by publicly backing Putin. They’ll pay lip service to the idea, but Ukraine will never be “ready” to join NATO in their eyes.

Macron is calling for a new security order in Europe that doesn’t involve NATO, and has been working to that end. He seeks appeasement and has been meeting and speaking with Putin directly. If Russia annexes Ukraine I’m sure he’ll speak out against it, but that’s all it seems he’ll do.

That’s only my take at least, based on reading major US/EU news sites.