President Donald Trump’s push to end the Russia-Ukraine war has taken a dramatic turn, with reports surfacing on Friday that Ukraine could be offered automatic NATO membership if Russia reneges on a forthcoming peace deal. According to NBC, unnamed U.S. officials involved in the talks suggest this could serve as a powerful deterrent—a carrot to lure Russia to the table and a stick to keep them in line. For conservatives, this is a double-edged sword: a chance to lock in peace, but a risky gamble that could embolden the very alliance Republicans have long eyed with skepticism.

The proposal hinges on a delicate balance. Ukraine wouldn’t get NATO membership now—Trump and Russia both oppose that—but a mechanism would trigger instant admission if Moscow breaks the agreement.

“NATO membership for Ukraine becomes, then, the carrot and the stick,” the report notes. “An incentive for Russia’s Putin to come to the negotiating table to end the slaughter while giving him a small success to sell to the Russian people, while making clear the full weight of NATO stands by to punish in future.”

This safeguard aims to reassure jittery European allies that America won’t abandon Ukraine post-deal, even as Trump’s team drives the talks hard.

Trump’s made no secret of his goal to stop the bloodshed fast. At least eight cabinet officials or appointees have jetted to Europe or met with Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia this week alone, per Breitbart’s earlier reporting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this urgency on Wednesday at NATO headquarters, saying, “President Trump has been clear with the American people—and with many of your leaders—that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority.”

But the NATO gambit’s got conservatives on edge. Russia’s dead-set against it—Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Ukraine’s absorption into NATO “a direct threat to Russia’s interests and its sovereignty” during Tuesday’s sit-down with Marco Rubio. Europe’s split too; while some push Kyiv’s membership, others balk at inducting a war-torn nation. Trump himself has questioned Ukraine’s democratic legitimacy under Zelensky, who canceled 2024 elections citing martial law—a move Britain’s Keir Starmer defends, but Trump’s labeled dictatorial.

“It can be used as a security guarantee for Ukraine by limiting Russia’s appetite for further adventurism,” NBC’s sources argue.

Yet Zelensky’s pushing his own angle, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that Putin’s got plans to “wage war” on NATO itself—a claim that’s got Republicans wary of getting sucked into a broader mess.

For the GOP, this is realpolitik at its rawest. Trump’s team sees NATO as leverage to force a deal, not a blank check for endless war. The plan dodges immediate membership—smart, given Biden’s dithering left Ukraine vulnerable—but dangles it as a future hammer. Conservatives know Russia won’t roll over easy; those three Chinese warships off Australia this week prove global tensions are spiking. With Trump’s crew moving fast—Rubio’s talks, Hegseth’s NATO stance—the GOP’s betting on strength, not handouts, to keep Putin in check and America’s interests first. Peace is the prize, and Republicans aim to win it their way.