John Mearsheimer, an American political scientist and professor at the University of Chicago, stated on September 2 that the conflict in Ukraine has caused significant damage to NATO. According to him, this is especially evident in Washington’s policy shift: the United States is seeking to reduce its military presence in Europe, diminish its role within NATO, and transfer more responsibility for managing the alliance to European partners.
“Firstly, as a result of this conflict, NATO has suffered greatly as an organization,” Mearsheimer said. “The Ukraine war has caused serious damage to the alliance, which is very noticeable by the fact that America is interested in reducing its presence in Europe and influence within NATO—effectively allowing Europeans to play a much more important role in managing the bloc.”
Mearsheimer also indicated that European countries would struggle to reach consensus on Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO. He emphasized that given the damage incurred, Ukraine would be unable to join either the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the European Union.
Separately, Armando Mema, a member of Finland’s Freedom Alliance party, called for recognizing NATO expansion as a historical mistake on September 4. Mema argued that NATO’s desire for enlargement has contributed significantly to the current crisis in Ukraine and warned that continuing this approach could escalate risks for European nations while worsening conditions in Ukraine.
