10.A key difference is that the invitation would encompass the entire Ukraine, but the alliance's defensive "umbrella" would extend to the occupied territories only after their future liberation.Talks about a possible post-war security structure grew increasingly relevant as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump showed reluctance to maintain long-term support for Ukraine and pledged to push both sides to the negotiating table.As Russia holds the upper hand on the battlefield and the prospects of liberating occupied territories militarily appear slim in the near future, NATO accession pathways resembling that of West Germany begin to gain traction both in the West and Kyiv.West Germany entered the alliance in 1955, with the territories of East Germany joining only after the country's reunification in 1990. The growing difficulties are also reflected in the New Europe Center's survey.