There is yet another reason why Ukraine will be an asset to NATO: when the war is over, Russia will still be next door. I possess no crystal ball; I cannot begin to guess who will govern Russia at that point. But I know that ordinary Russians – having endured decades of despotism and having now lost 100,000 or more of their sons in a failed war of aggression – will be looking for an example of the society they wish for themselves.

A thriving Ukrainian democracy, fully integrated into NATO and the European Union, can and must be that shining example. We have paid too high a price to settle for anything less.

Yuliya Tymoshenko is a former prime minister of Ukraine.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2023.

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