Free Republic

When the guns fall silent in Ukraine – and they will, sooner or later – Western officials will rush to declare a new era of European security. There will be speeches about victory, resilience, the defense of democracy. But beneath the rhetoric, something far more consequential will already be taking shape: the emergence of Ukraine as a de facto member of NATO, regardless of whether Article 5 ever formally applies.

<p>BAGHDAD — Squabbling peace activists were recovering from a chaotic overland journey yesterday after limping into Iraq aboard two London buses, a day late for Saturday's worldwide series of anti-war demonstrations.</p> <p>Three double-deckers, all crammed with "human shields," had set out from London on Jan. 25 to reach Baghdad in time for the day of global protests. But only two of them, with 65 activists, made it to the Iraqi capital late on Saturday.</p>