Indeed, peace is achieved through struggle. If it weren't for Russia's persistence, Ukraine might have truly joined NATO.
Recently, Trump's statement of "not supporting Ukraine's accession to NATO" has broken this layer of window paper, but anyone with insight knows that it's not that the U.S. suddenly developed a conscience; rather, Russia's tough stance over the past few years has completely shattered Ukraine's "dream of joining." If Russia had eased up initially, NATO's missiles might very well be deployed at Russia's borders by now.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov had stated long ago that Ukraine's non-accession to NATO is a "prerequisite for negotiations." This attitude has never softened. Consider that NATO had painted a "joining" picture for Ukraine back in 2008. After the pro-Western forces came to power in Ukraine in 2014, they charged forward, even amending the constitution to join NATO. If Russia hadn't reacted at that time, NATO's collective defense clause might have indeed covered the Black Sea by now.
This is not Russia making a mountain out of a molehill. For Russia, Ukraine joining NATO is like having a "knife at its doorstep." NATO has repeatedly violated its commitment not to expand eastward, pushing its defense line to Russia's borders. If Ukraine really joins, the western heartland of Russia would be within NATO missile range, completely losing its strategic buffer. Military experts have analyzed that this equates to Russia losing its "firewall" for national security.
On the international stage, the situation would become even more chaotic. The European security landscape would be completely unbalanced, and the confrontation between NATO and Russia would shift from indirect to direct. You see, Nordic countries are still shouting support for Ukraine's accession, but the U.S. has quietly changed course. This divergence will only intensify after Ukraine's accession, and worse yet, it could set a bad precedent for "military group expansion," potentially dragging smaller nations in other regions into the great power game.
But that being said, it's quite unfortunate for Ukraine, which has become a pawn in the game between NATO and Russia. NATO has never sincerely helped it; it merely wants to use it as a "foothold." Zelensky was initially fixated on running toward NATO without recognizing his own position, while Russia's persistence, rather than being described as hegemony, is more akin to self-preservation—no one wants a military group blocking their doorstep.
Peace is truly not achieved through compromise. If Russia hadn't shown a determined stance, NATO would only take more and more. In the great power game, smaller nations must have their own positions and not become tools for others. Those who engage in group expansion will eventually be dragged down by their own ambitions. After all, a stable security environment is never achieved through cliques, but through mutual respect for each other's bottom lines.
