Why can't Ukraine sell, say 5 KM of land along border to EU for a $ with an option to buy back at 100% premium? No Russian tanks/aircraft can fly thereby protecting. Instead of Ukraine joining NATO NATO can play this credible gimmmick, just like Russia played a gimmmick by declaring independence.
Because if a EU country wanted to actually defend Ukraine, they'd just do it. They don't need to play that sort of ridiculous game. They can literally go in there with military assistance and start shooting.<p>That they aren't doing that, means they don't actually have the will to defend Ukraine against Russia. Ukraine trying to play a little land border game isn't going to change that reality.
I'm not sure that's the play. They don't need land, they need balls (i.e. if the Russians continue then fundamentally detach them from the modern world).<p>On a tactical level they probably already have more than enough breathing room to be able to mobilize (which I would imagine the US has already done) every information gathering asset in the region to provide Intel to the Ukrainian troops. As far as I'm aware there are already publicly documented AWACS aircraft on patrol as you'd expect.<p>I have family by a few RAF bases with some saucy planes but it would be foolish to comment on it in a time like this so gossip will stay as such.
You can call it conspiracy theory but I believe that US/Russia and many other countries gonna benefit out of it by selling arms as most countries started increase their defence budget.
I think while Russia thinks creatively, the other side thinks linearly. Spain, UK, France or Poland should buy the land and poke a finger at the aggressor - just a thought.