KISSINGER: Why I changed my mind about Ukraine.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum via Zoom, the 99-year-old said that although he was against Ukraine joining NATO before the invasion, it was now a desired outcome. “Before this war I was opposed to the membership of Ukraine in NATO because I feared it would start exactly the process we are seeing now,” he said. But now, “the idea of a neutral Ukraine in these conditions is no longer meaningful.”

Ukrainian neutrality was a key demand by Russia during the negotiations that took place in March last year. The 15-point draft included Kyiv renouncing its ambitions to join NATO and agreeing not to host foreign military bases or weaponry in exchange for protection from allies such as the US, UK and Turkey.

The negotiations broke down, with both sides’ positions hardening shortly after.

Neutrality hasn’t worked out very well for Ukraine. Assuming there still is a Ukraine after this war, it’s going to be part of some defensive alliance, whether that’s a grouping of NATO and non-NATO countries in Eastern Europe, or NATO itself.