> Exactly what mutual defense of the United States or Western Europe is Ukraine or Georgia going to provide?
(1) Other NATO members aren't only in Western Europe. Ukraine borders several NATO members and its Black Sea location positions it to provide support to even more. And it pretty clearly has a lot to offer its neighbors when it comes to mutual defense.
(2) NATO's single deployment under the mutual defense provision (Article 5) included Georgian and Ukrainian troops, even though they were only non-member partners at the time, and Ukraine has greatly increased its capacity in the intervening period, due to grim necessity imposed by Russia.
(1) Other NATO members aren't only in Western Europe. Ukraine borders several NATO members and its Black Sea location positions it to provide support to even more. And it pretty clearly has a lot to offer its neighbors when it comes to mutual defense.
(2) NATO's single deployment under the mutual defense provision (Article 5) included Georgian and Ukrainian troops, even though they were only non-member partners at the time, and Ukraine has greatly increased its capacity in the intervening period, due to grim necessity imposed by Russia.