> What binding force do you think this Declaration has ... The same as every other international treaty - all such treaties are made on the basis that if viola

> What binding force do you think this Declaration has ... The same as every other international treaty - all such treaties are made on the basis that if violated the other country will become their enemy. And if they are militarily stronger, will attack them in some form or even destroy them. (Also remember that, historically, no country has ever allowed part of its territory to become independent willingly - why do you think a country that has allowed so, will then accept when the newly independent territory makes an alliance with its enemies that seek to destroy it?) > and was not pursuing NATO membership when the Russo-Ukrainian war began with the Russian invasion in 2014. That's ignorance speaking. In 1994, Ukraine joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program, and in 1997, the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership was signed. In 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership established the NATO-Ukraine Commission. In 2009 NATO Leaders reaffirmed the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine will become a member of NATO. ( https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/partnerships-and-cooperation/relations-with-ukraine https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/partnerships-and-cooperat... ). In 2003, through Law #39 the Ukraine Legislature gave up its powers to make national security strategies and military doctrines and transferred that power to the President. In July 2004, he officially proclaimed that plans for Ukraine’s preparation for accession into NATO was being removed from Ukraine's military doctrine and policies. After the Orange revolution, President Viktor Yushchenko amended the doctrine stating that the country’s final security goal is accession into NATO. Later, President Viktor Yanukovich again rejected the idea of Ukraine joining NATO. During his administration the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said if Ukraine was unwilling to join CSTO, Russia is not opposed to Ukraine choosing a path of neutrality. President Viktor Yanukovich was ofcourse, again, overthrown by pro-western forces. Petro Poroshonko, who took charge, and was propped up by the British, signed a constitutional amendment committing the country to becoming a member of NATO and the European Union. Russia by then had enough of this drama and annexed Crimea in 2014. Zelensky than campaigned on repairing ties with Russia and got elected. However, Zelensky's first official trip abroad as president was to Brussels in June 2019, where he met with EU and NATO officials. Russia knew where this was politically heading, and when Zelensky did not respond to Russians overtures, they invaded Ukraine before it could officially join NATO. (And from a purely superpower political perspective, in some ways they were smart to do so - even if Ukraine is not a member of NATO, Russia is today fighting a NATO trained Ukrainian military, equipped with NATO arms.)