America On Path to Break-up the European Union

Thanks at least in part to NATO's premature membership commitment to Ukraine and Georgia -- and knowing that NATO is very reluctant to admit new members that have unresolved territorial issues with neighboring countries --the Kremlin has been strongly incentivized to create frozen conflicts in those countries. The Russian invasions of Georgia and Ukraine -- and its subsequent occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia and Crimea and the Donbas in Ukraine -- have been the logical result. By creating and now maintaining open-ended territorial conflicts with both Georgia and Ukraine, the Kremlin has cast a de facto veto over any attempt on the part of Tbilisi or Kyiv to join NATO.