ABSTRACT
Trust in international relations is complicated. According to structural realists and liberal/rational institutionalists, this has to do with the anarchic conditions in the international system and the resulting security dilemma. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created as a permanent military alliance in 1949. While NATO was first and foremost intended to defend against any Soviet attacks in Western Europe, the permanent organization symbolized long-term United States (US). US domestic deliberations preceding the creation of NATO highlighted such fears of free-riding. Both trust and distrust were thus evident in the creation of NATO. After NATO's creation in 1949, European allies soon lost trust in US nuclear policy. However, European NATO allies could still insist on the deployment of large numbers of US soldiers in Europe. US soon began considering a stronger conventional NATO shield to deter potential Soviet attacks. NATO operations have similarly supported European interests and values as part of military interventions in the former Yugoslavia and Libya.
