NATO applications are official

[Kaz]

It may not be the wisest move but these countries have watched Russia move into sovereign territory and alarm bells have started to ring. Perhaps if Putin had not invaded other lands, countries who have always been neutral may have stayed that way.

I agree.

[cromwell]

This is a proxy war isn't it? The West versus Russia with the West arming and using Ukraine as their proxy.
I wish this would just stop but I get the distinct impression some parties don't want it to stop.

[Workingman]

Not so sure about all you say, Cromwell. Russia always wanted a land bridge along the Azov Sea coast to Crimea and the unrest in the Donbas provided the excuse.

However, I think that it has also become an East / West proxy war; possibly over natural resources from the West's point of view. Ukraine has vast reserves of oil, gas, lithium, titanium, manganese and rare earth metals, and don't forget its food production - wheat, sunflower oils etc.

[Suff]

I think it has become more than that WM. Ukraine has a democratically elected government, perhaps not quite as clean as could be, but it is on the lines of western democracies.

Europe and the NATO alliance can't allow Russia to simply take what it wants. OK they don't want to get directly involved but Ukraine cannot fend them off without the weapons for their troops. Europe and NATO are supporting them with these weapons.

I'm sure Ukraine doesn't want any more foreign armies on their soil, they just want the help and the means. War breaks down barriers and makes things happen rapidly. SpaceX had been trying to get Starlink services certified in Ukraine for months before the attack. It was granted within hours of the attack and the terminals were ready to go.

If Europe and NATO had not been so hesitant about heavy weapons. Russia would be gone already. Especially mobile rocket artillery to crush their supply lines and do counter battery on Russian rockets.

This is not really a proxy war. We're simply helping a fellow democracy to defend themselves.