Recommended Read: Ukraine: How Merkel Prevented Ukraine’s NATO Membership

“That was the year that Ukraine was likely closer to becoming a member of
the Western alliance than ever, before or since. United States
President George W. Bush stood solidly behind Kyiv's accession. But the
effort failed, as Zelenskyy made clear, due to the opposition of Merkel
and Sarkozy – and an “absurd fear” of Russia.”