Thunder in the West Portending Tempest in the East: NATO’s Rejuvenation vs Russia’s National Security amid Great-Power Competition

Abstract

The article discusses NATO’s evolution after the end of the Cold War with an emphasis on the changes that have occurred since 2014. NATO’s policy and strategy are analyzed in the context of changes in the U.S. national security strategy and policy and the evolution of Washington’s approach to great-power confrontation, and the gradual emergence of U.S.-China rivalry. Cooperation and confrontation with Russia have served American foreign policy goals. The key goal is to make American allies step up their military-political activity in the interests of the United States. This involves a redistribution of the military burden between the United States and its allies as well as the development of the defense industry in European countries and their policy in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States was able to significantly increase bloc discipline and make the EU pursue a policy that meets Washington’s needs. The author states that NATO does pose a threat to Russia. The previous potential for rapprochement has been lost irretrievably. The confrontation will be long. To prevent escalation and incidents, it is necessary to maintain communication channels between Moscow and Brussels. Sooner or later, the parties will have to negotiate new security architecture in Europe, but Moscow should conduct dialogue with Washington, Paris, and Berlin, not Brussels.