NATO Looks East

THOSE of us who favor rapid admission of the Central European democracies into NATO have the burden of demonstrating that it can be done without triggering a major brawl with the Russians and a new Cold War in Europe. This essay offers a strategy for achieving that.

Recent comments by Russian leaders suggest a certain rethinking of the issue in Moscow. President Boris Yeltsin and Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov have hinted at “compromise.” The optimistic interpretation of these signals is that the Russians are no longer adamant in their opposition to NATO enlargement. The more cynical interpretation is that it’s just a clever new tactic to sow confusion and slow down the process.

THOSE of us who favor rapid admission of the Central European democracies into NATO have the burden of demonstrating that it can be done without triggering a major brawl with the Russians and a new Cold War in Europe. This essay offers a strategy for achieving that.

Recent comments by Russian leaders suggest a certain rethinking of the issue in Moscow. President Boris Yeltsin and Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov have hinted at “compromise.” The optimistic interpretation of these signals is that the Russians are no longer adamant in their opposition to NATO enlargement. The more cynical interpretation is that it’s just a clever new tactic to sow confusion and slow down the process.