ABSTRACT
The importance of North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) new role meant that East-West security relations in Europe were consequently focused around Russian-NATO dialogue. The changes in the nature of Russian-European security relations after 9/11 must be analysed in the broader context of the evolution of Russia-NATO security relations throughout the 1990s. Moscow has argued that even after the establishment of the new framework between Russia and NATO, the alliance has not changed significantly since the Cold War era. One interpretation for Russia's apparent change of heart has focused upon the pragmatic foreign policy approach taken by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The main instrument that allowed the US and NATO to engage with regional states was the Partnership for Peace (PFP) programme, with other multilateral activities playing only a minor role. The principal issue now concerns how the reaction to the events of 9/11 and the war in Iraq will affect the tempo of NATO's enlargement.
