Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin may have more to discuss with his NATO allies than just whether to extend the mission in Afghanistan, as Ukraine, facing mounting pressure from Russia, reportedly seeks fast-track entry into the alliance.
Russia has continued to mass soldiers along the southeast border of Ukraine and increasingly militarizes Crimea, which Russian President Vladimir Putin seized from Ukraine in 2014. In the years since, NATO has worked to bolster its presence along the eastern flank to deter Russian aggression. In July 2020, Ukraine reached a ceasefire in the restive Donetsk region, where Russia has supported Ukrainian separatists. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and national security adviser Jake Sullivan have called their Ukrainian counterparts in recent days, and the United States has failed to receive an explanation from Russia.
