Ukrainian landowners and even a cafe are taking the country’s NATO membership drive to a new level: they are writing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, offering private land to host NATO bases and appealing for the Alliance to accept them as private members.
Amid the growing scare of a Russian invasion and Russian demands that NATO not expand eastward, Ukrainians are asking to join NATO in a personal capacity and offering to donate their private land parcels for the establishment of a NATO base. Two such letters were sent by residents of south-eastern Ukraine, which is known to be more NATO-sceptic than the rest of the country.
One Ukrainian who offered his land plot to NATO is Odesa entrepreneur Demian Hamul. He posted a screenshot of a letter he claims he sent to Nato Secretary Jens Stoltenberg on his Facebook page, offering to give up his land plot in Kirovohradska Oblast (central Ukraine) for a NATO base.
“It so happened that I own more than 5 hectares of land in the central part of Ukraine, which I inherited. Due to the open land market, I want to transfer the above-mentioned area of the NATO Allied Air Command for free, for life. The destination is well suited to become the Alliance’s military base. The statement was addressed to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Ukraine will win. P.S. Allied troops are better than occupiers!”
Another Ukrainian who wants a NATO base on his land is Oleh Marchenko from Kharkiv Oblast. TSN reported.
In an appeal also addressed to Jens Stoltenberg, Marchenko announces his desire to join the Alliance in a personal capacity and offers to give up his own land for a NATO base.
“I, Marchenko Oleh Viktorovych, a Ukrainian citizen, want to join NATO and transfer for free eternal use a land plot that I own of 8.13 ha in the Kharkiv Oblast, village [blurred out], to house a NATO base.”
In what may be a less appealing proposal for NATO, the Lviv cafe “Chotyry Chebureky. Prosecco bar” has also joined the trend and penned a letter to Jens Stoltenberg, asking to be accepted to NATO as a “separate unit.”
Their statement, posted on their Facebook page, states:
“Because the entire country of Ukraine, based on various reasons, does not receive a NATO Membership Action Plan, the restaurant “Four Chebureky. Prosecco Bar” asks to be accepted to NATO as a separate unit. We are ready to give a part of our facilities at vul. Staroyevreiska 16 and Heroyiv UPA 40 in the city of Lviv to host the army and equipment of the Alliance.”
According to a recent poll, 54% of Ukrainians were in favor of the country joining NATO.
Ukraine currently does not have any NATO bases on its territory, but it cooperates with the Alliance via joint military drills with separate members. Also, NATO has adopted a Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine which has given Ukraine the opportunity to receive assistance in the implementation of about 40 targeted measures in key areas of national security.
Amid the growing Russian threat, calls have been made to expand Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO. One of the latest ones was issued by Republicans in the US House, who proposed designating Ukraine a “NATO Plus” country. Yet other NATO countries, particularly, Germany, continue to block Ukraine’s arms purchases from the Alliance.
Recently, a series of talks between the West and Russia centered around Russia’s demand that NATO never accept Ukraine and withdraw from Eastern Europe have ended in Russia’s diplomatic failure that has experts worried whether a military escalation might be the next step.
This is a good offer, although we know the Krauts and all the other Russian appeasers in NATO will block it.
There are two types of NATO members, those that are neighbors and know the evil that threatens them and the others that are USING the members that are neighbors as their protection. Its not fair. NATO should be divided up as such because they will never agree on anything.
The past decade has made it ever more clear that NATO is a void. It has no real substance anymore. Its mission is still there, but the desire by numerous nations to fulfill it has evaporated. I seriously doubt that Article 5 would be followed by every member.
Time Nato will be replaced by a new organization which exludes central europe and includes Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, Moldova and Ukraine.
That would be the right thing to do.
NATO is not fit for the purpose anymore. It needs revamping by removing all jellyfish, and only admitting countries that will fight Russia. That means most EU countries can fucking defend themselves with their hot air and broomsticks, and leave peace in Europe to the US, UK the Baltics, Poland and Ukraine.
I wish very much that such a measure, or a similar one, would be implemented. If we had a decent president to make this happen, NATO would indeed be renewed with worthy members or just dead, to be replaced by a new organization.