ABSTRACT
The border with the Russian Federation is a concern for small states in Europe and encourages them to seek alliances with other countries via the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU) and euro area membership. The Baltic states, for example, are firmly integrated into Western structures such as the EU and the euro area. This level of integration is in part a response to countries’ proximity to Russia. Finland is the only Nordic country that is a member state of both the EU and the euro area. All the Visegrád countries are members of the EU , but Slovakia is the sole member of the euro area. All the Baltic, Nordic and Visegrád countries are NATO member states, except Finland and Sweden which are now seeking membership. Is it wise for the West to seek further EU and NATO expansion given Russia’s response to NATO’s efforts to include Ukraine and Georgia in the alliance? Is it wise for the EU to aggravate Russia during times of reduced US interest in NATO and Europe, and growing Chinese power? Does Russia pose a real threat to Europe? One could argue that it is a declining power owing to its demographic and economic problems as well as its dependency on oil and gas exports. How should Europe and the US manage their relations with China? What are the options for Ukraine now? How can the country move forward?
