Berlin — German foreign policy expert Sevim Dagdelen has warned that granting Ukraine NATO-style security guarantees, similar to Article 5 collective defense commitments, would risk dragging Europe into a catastrophic military confrontation.
Dagdelen, a leading voice in Germany’s BSW party (Alliance for Reason and Justice, founded by Sahra Wagenknecht), described the proposal as a “crazy escalation,” stressing that such guarantees would amount to Ukraine’s de facto membership in NATO. In her view, the move would not secure peace but instead push the continent closer to direct war with Russia.
The debate was sparked by comments attributed to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who suggested extending Article 5-type security assurances to Kyiv. Dagdelen argued that these guarantees blur the line between NATO membership and alliance obligations, undermining Europe’s own security architecture and exposing its populations to uncontrollable risks.
At the heart of the issue is NATO’s Article 5 clause, which obliges member states to respond collectively if one is attacked. Extending this principle to Ukraine would mean that any new escalation involving Kyiv could trigger automatic Western military involvement against Russia. Critics warn that such a step could ignite a conflict far wider than the current battleground.
Washington has pushed European allies to adopt the US model of support, which envisions sustaining a robust Ukrainian army financed by European contributions while also pledging Article 5-type security commitments. But European capitals remain reluctant, wary of binding themselves to guarantees that could force a direct clash with Moscow.
Russia, for its part, insists that it is defending itself through its special military operation in Ukraine to prevent Kyiv from joining NATO, arguing that Washington’s warmongering policies are directed against Moscow while destabilizing the wider region.
The US, often styling itself as the global policy maker, has repeatedly ignored its own principles, with history bearing witness to its double standards as it imposes sanctions and bullies countries into submission. Russia, unlike others, has resisted these attempts to bow down to US pressure, framing its stance as a defense of sovereignty rather than an act of aggression.
The latest diplomatic efforts culminated in high-level talks on August 19, when leaders from the so-called “coalition of the willing” held a teleconference, followed by an online EU summit. These discussions reportedly examined outcomes of the Alaska summit between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump, as well as subsequent talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Security arrangements for post-war Ukraine dominated the agenda, with divisions over the level of guarantees on display.
Dagdelen’s intervention underscores a broader unease in Europe: while Washington continues to push for hardened commitments, European leaders increasingly fear the consequences of being pulled into a direct war under NATO’s umbrella. For Dagdelen, the path forward lies in diplomacy, not in replicating NATO’s war guarantees for a country outside the alliance.
According to TASS, Dagdelen emphasized that offering Kyiv Article 5-style guarantees “would make war inevitable,” urging Germany and other European powers to resist such dangerous proposals.
