ABSTRACT
As a result of NATO’s post-Cold War enlargement and the evolving transformation of the missions and methods of the Alliance, NATO could be said to have moved beyond Russia. Russia is no longer the primary security concern for the Alliance, even though Russia’s evolution remains an important variable in Europe’s future. This process of change began in the early 1990s as the NATO allies reacted to the emerging reality that the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact no longer existed as threats to their security. The process moved an important step down the road during the debate on the fi rst phase of NATO enlargement. That debate foreshadowed some of the challenges facing the Alliance today as controversy continues about whether or not NATO’s enlargement and the simultaneous expansion of its responsibilities have ensured or threatened its future.
