Organized by Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment, 60 experts have signed a letter published Wednesday warning against the use of next week’s upcoming NATO summit to push Ukrainian NATO membership. 

The letter says including Ukraine in the pact would give Kiev a security guarantee that could lead to World War III and commit the U.S. to fighting Russia in any future Russia–Ukraine conflict. The letter argues that Ukrainian NATO membership “would reduce the security of the United States and NATO Allies, at considerable risk to all.” The letter also calls into doubt whether Ukrainian NATO membership would deter a future conflict. 

The letter argues that NATO expansion and the desire of many to incorporate Ukraine into NATO were the primary motivations for Russia’s invasion. The letter claims that the sooner Ukrainian NATO membership is taken off the table, the sooner peace can be established. 

The letter deprecates emotive arguments for Ukrainian NATO membership: “The purpose of NATO is not to signal esteem for other countries; it is to defend NATO territory and strengthen the security of NATO members.”

The letter included signatories from across the political spectrum, including the former Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), the international relations theorist John Measheimer, the foreign affairs expert John C. Hulsman, and William Ruger, president of the American Institute for Economic Research. Sumantra Maitra, a senior editor at The American Conservative, was also a signatory.