NEW YORK, July 8. /TASS/. The flow of assistance to Ukraine from the US and EU countries will decrease irrespective of who wins the upcoming presidential vote in the US, Mary Elise Sarotte, a Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, said in an article for the Foreign Affairs magazine.
"Even without a Trump victory, it is unlikely that the flow of assistance from the US and European governments will continue at anywhere near the levels of the past two and a half years. Chances of a major Russian advance or breakthrough will grow. Those could cause destabilizing refugee movements and panic among Russian border states (and beyond). Some countries might respond by doing what French President Emmanuel Macron proposed - sending their own forces to Ukraine, which could provoke retaliation against their NATO-protected home territories," she said.
Amid this background the expert offers consideration of alternative ways of Ukraine joining NATO. She suggests that Kiev could define "a provisional, militarily defensible border," "agree to self-limitations on infrastructure on unoccupied territory (such as the permanent stationing of foreign troops or nuclear weapons)," as well as "undertake not to use military force beyond that border except in self-defense."
On July 9-11, Washington will host a NATO summit marking the 75th anniversary of the alliance. Bloc leaders will discuss sending more military equipment to Kiev via a new mission in Wiesbaden and building a NATO bridge for Ukraine that would enable the former Soviet republic to join the North Atlantic Alliance when the political chips fall into place.