NATO has decided not to put Ukraine and Georgia on the fast-track to membership, and so has essentially tossed these two countries to the mercy of Putin’s ever-expanding Empire.

French and German concern over Russia’s reaction dashed the two former Soviet republics’ hopes of being granted a “membership action plan” that bring them into the alliance within the next five to 10 years.

This move relinquishes the fates of those states to Soviet - er, I mean Czarist; um, no, “Russian Commonwealth” - influence, emboldening pro-Russian elements within them, setting a precedent of appeasement by NATO towards Russia and overall weakening NATO’s military complement in real terms. I recognize that this was a tight decision, considering Russia has most of the world’s nations by the short hairs when it comes to energy. Still, I believe it a serious blunder.

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