Without Ukraine’s NATO membership, peace will remain elusive – German expert

Nico Lange, a military expert and former advisor at the German Defense Ministry, said this in comments to Ukrinform.

“I believe that President [Volodymyr] Zelensky is right. He recently reiterated that NATO membership is part of peace, because only NATO membership will send a message to Putin that his goal of controlling all of Ukraine cannot be achieved,” the expert said.

He said that as long as some in Germany oppose Ukraine’s membership in NATO, achieving peace will remain out of reach.

EU membership depends not only on Ukraine’s internal transformation but also on its security. Progress toward joining the European Union — and the necessary reforms — can only occur in a secure environment. Investors, whom Ukraine urgently needs, will also only be willing to engage once security is assured.

“And security is possible solely through NATO membership. There is no other alternative,” Lange said.

Speaking about a “Trump plan” to quickly end the war, Lange noted that various rumors are circulating, but the specifics remain uncertain. He said he did know what Trump would actually do if he became president.

“I have yet to see anything that, in my view, would genuinely stop Vladimir Putin. There’s no reason to believe that Trump’s current statements will really work,” the expert said.

Commenting on efforts by the German government, Lange expressed skepticism about Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent call to Kremlin dictator Putin.

“I have the impression that the last call brought nothing but irritation from his own partners,” he said, suggesting that this call and Scholz’s visit to Kyiv could be part of the election campaign in Germany.

When asked why his earlier proposal to establish a 70-kilometer protected airspace corridor along Ukraine’s western border had not gained traction, Lange explained that while some states are willing, others are firmly opposed.

“If you look at the recent strikes with drones, missiles, warheads, there are many things that could be shot down from outside Ukraine. I do not understand why we are not doing this. […] I will continue to work to make sure that this is done,” Lange said.

At the same time, he noted that proposals always have to be repeated, and at some point “there will be movement in the right direction,” but, unfortunately, progress in such matters often comes too slowly and too late.

Lange, a member of the Munich Security Conference, also welcomed the appointment of former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as the next chair of the Munich Security Conference.

“I think, at least as far as Ukraine is concerned, that Jens Stoltenberg has not only taken a clear stance but also enabled significant progress. One can at least expect that he will work very hard for Ukraine and support Ukraine at the Munich Conference, which is good,” Lange concluded.

Lange, a German political consultant, political scientist, and journalist, led the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s office in Ukraine from 2006 to 2012. He also held a senior role at the German Defense Ministry from 2017 to 2022 and is currently a senior fellow at the Munich Security Conference.