It's not up to Russia to discuss but Russia's response to Ukraine joining NATO post any settlement would be on the mind of NATO and Ukraine.
The question then becomes how would Russia respond if at all and if so, would NATO and Ukraine be okay with it. How does NATO and Ukraine anticipate Russian response will not necessarily be the Russian response either.
Seriously, what do you think Russia "Can" do??
You can't start a war with NATO, you start using nuke, everybody dies, you are not economically big enough to threaten NATO and Ukraine. The only thing Russia can do, and probably already had done, is to warm up to China and become their vassal, on the other hand, would China want this particular hot mess when the Chinese themselves have Taiwan in their mind??
As for NATO weapons being used by Ukraine, well yes that is a point of concern for NATO in regards to any post settlement changes. If settlement is for ceasefire in return for Russia holding some land of Ukraine's, NATO equipment will either remain in Ukraine or go back to NATO. It doesn't mean their information and details would be delivered to Russia. NATO hasn't actually sent much advanced equipment or weapons to Ukraine. The only advanced stuff being used or helped is NATO ISR equipment which is operated by NATO and not by Ukraine. Anyway that is still a valid point it's just that you assumed there would be a total Russian takeover in future and there would not be western support then but the current NATO equipment in Ukraine would remain in Ukraine for Russia to capture in that hypothetical future Russian invasion that takes those equipment. Big stretch.
That equipment is NOT going back to NATO, NATO will not come back and ask for everything back after this war. Those stuff stays in Ukraine.
The problem of those equipment is big, not the biggest concern, Ukraine is using NATO playbook to fight Russia,
everything from fieldcraft to tactics down to intelligence operation are adopted by the Ukrainian, otherwise we can't feed them intel and they can't use it even if we do. THAT, is the serious problem, because I know how NATO work, but if I do tell you how NATO fight war, or how US fight war, then I will have 20 years waiting for me back in Leavenworth, Kansas. If you know what I know completely, you can plan how to fight NATO off, because you know how NATO operate, then in any wargame you don't just guess what would NATO do, but you will know EXACTLY what would NATO do, and that's the problem.
Step back a bit, do you know why Ukraine is very successful on resisting invasion and capturing Russian land in counter attack? That's because they know what Russian will do, they were trained with Russian doctrine until at least 2014. Unless Russia had written the entire doctrine from scratch since 2014, that playbook, the one that Ukraine know, will be used against Ukraine, and Ukraine would know how NATO could counter those doctrine, because they know both sides. And to a lesser extend how China would react because Chinese Doctrine build on Russian/Soviet Doctrine. Which mean not only Ukraine is a really valued partner but also a serious liability if it changes side.
NATO membership permission will depend on how NATO considers Russia will respond and how Russia actually responds. Ukraine would want to join NATO post any settlement as you said due to how they can be sure Russia won't invade and if they did, would make it harder for Russia. But whether or not Ukraine can join will also depend on how Ukraine considers the chance of NATO allowing membership of Ukraine and how Russia will respond to Ukraine formally asking to join.
Ukraine might think well what if we ask to join and that worries Russia and puts Russia into war mode again but NATO does not allow. That would **** them up even more and give Russia their initial allegation that Ukraine wants to join NATO which has been part of Russia's claim for initiating the war. It's not as simple as you said.
How does it worry them when they are already fighting now?? You only threaten to fight you before you actually fight, that threat is gone once you are already in a war. You don't swing around the fence and think maybe they will do this or maybe they will do that. You know they will attack, and that would already been calculated by NATO before any membership. I am not saying NATO will most definitely allow Ukraine membership.
You know they will go to war, because there WAS a war already, and if you allow Ukraine to join, then you consider that thread is being outweighed by security concern, I mean it's probably 9 months too late to care about what Russia think.....
Do you think NATO will allow Ukraine to join and do you think Ukraine would make that move? Are you not ignoring how NATO and Ukraine would be worried about how Russia would respond? Considering all this is hypothetically after a settlement for ceasefire is agreed by both sides. then Ukriane decides to join NATO and NATO accepts. How russia would respond would depend on how much appetite and capability they have for war on one side and on the other side, how NATO will consider it a risk. Ukraine joins means Article 5 in action and maybe Russia is deterred by that if Ukraine goes ahead. Maybe Russia is not. And this risk assessment is surely on the minds of NATO and Ukraine, but not your's.
Ukraine already made that move, and they have applied for NATO membership again, that would be considered most likely after Finland and Sweden's membership which is going to be a year, so I will say in 3 or 4 years, there will be a result on NATO decision.
I already said my point toward Ukrainian NATO membership, that is up to NATO and Ukraine to decide, not me and you and Russia, so why talking about something when it does not concern you??
