Does the West’s Ukraine policy need a reality check?

February 24, 2024 marks the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The invasion and Ukraine’s robust self-defense, with military assistance from the United States and its European allies, has transformed Europe’s security landscape and forced the West to reevaluate long-held approaches towards its eastern neighborhood and to collective security.

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, and with further U.S. aid for Kyiv at risk, there are many open questions: How can the United States and its allies best ensure security and stability in Ukraine and more broadly in Europe? Should NATO take further steps toward Ukrainian membership at the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington in July? Are we reaching a point where Ukraine should negotiate with its invader? What would the consequences of a Russian victory be for the trans-Atlantic alliance?

On February 23, the Center on the United States and Europe and the Strobe Talbott Center on Security, Strategy, and Technology held a virtual debate with a panel of Brookings experts to tackle these complex questions and consider the larger implications a prolonged conflict in Ukraine could have for the United States, NATO, the European Union, and trans-Atlantic security—expanding on a written debate published on February 15.

Viewers submitted questions via social media using #USEurope or by emailing [email protected].