"There is a longstanding tradition with the U.S. left as well as in Europe that NATO has played a role... in emphasizing militarized solutions when diplomacy could lead to more long-term stability."

"It feels a little bit absurd for people to be acting like it’s a political crime to criticize NATO."

Said Ashik Saddique, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s National Political Committee, quoted in "Socialists’ Response to War in Ukraine Has Put Some Democrats on Edge/The Democratic Socialists of America’s view that U.S. 'imperialist expansionism' through NATO fueled Russia’s invasion has created challenges for politicians aligned with the group" (NYT).

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the D.S.A. took the position that the United States should "withdraw from NATO and to end the imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict."

With a majority of Americans backing Ukraine as it struggles to repel a bloody, often live-streamed Russian invasion, the D.S.A.’s desire for a policy discussion about NATO appears to have sown unease in campaign circles: None of the nine New York City candidates the D.S.A. endorsed this year would consent to an interview on the topic, even as more centrist Democrats are now using the subject as a cudgel.