Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s in 2022, that country’s struggle for sovereignty has come to represent a measure of Europe’s collective security, democratic resilience, and strategic cohesion.
This publication, Ukraine’s Path to NATO—Prospects, Challenges, and Strategic Implications, is the result of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) held in Rome on 28–29 January 2025. The ARW was born out of a shared recognition that Ukraine’s future is inseparable from the security and prosperity of the Euro-Atlantic community, and it brought together an exceptional group of experts, diplomats, and military professionals from NATO member states and Ukraine itself. Providing an open and interdisciplinary environment for frank discussion and knowledge exchange, it served as both the foundation and the core of this work, which offers a comprehensive assessment of Ukraine’s progress towards meeting NATO’s doctrinal, technical, legal, and ethical standards, while highlighting the obstacles that persist. The analysis does not shy away from problematic issues such as reconciling wartime needs with long-term institutional reform; safeguarding democratic oversight under martial law; and ensuring that interoperability encompasses not only hardware, but also the shared values and trust that underpin the Alliance.
Arriving at a pivotal moment, this volume aims to demonstrate that Ukraine’s future security cannot be understood solely through the lens of military capability, but will require a systemic transformation, and will be gradual and complex. It is intended to support policymakers, military professionals, and scholars in understanding not only Ukraine’s path to NATO, but also NATO’s path towards a renewed sense of purpose in a rapidly changing world.
