This report includes papers presented at the conference "Eurasian Security in the Era of NATO Enlargement, held in August 1997. The Strategic Studies Institute invited analysts and officials from all of the Central and East European countries, including those invited to join NATO, those not invited, and those former Soviet states with a vital interest in the outcome. In order to clarify fully the emerging security agenda in Europe and hear from member states and other interested parties, the panelists provided assessments of their respective countries' perspectives, of their own governments' policies, and of how they see emerging trends in European security issues. This monograph contains a representative selection of the papers presented at the conference and offers a broad spectrum of views, including some not often heard, on the issues connected with NATO enlargement.

Tracing NATO's formative years, its Cold War development, and its post-Cold War evolution, Sean Kay draws on his policy experience in Brussels and Washington to provide unique insights into contemporary policy challenges, including NATO's outreach to the East and its Partnership for Peace, peacekeeping and the future of the Balkans, enlargement and the role of Russia in Europe, NATO's internal military adaptation, and the future of the transatlantic relationship. Kay argues that although NATO has evolved to some degree, it remains an institution dependent upon the United States with uncertain long-term prospects for playing a constructive role in Europe. Indeed, the author shows that if not implemented carefully, NATO enlargement may actually decrease rather than increase stability in the region.

Mobilizing an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners, this book reviews the history and consequences of NATO’s post-Cold War enlargement into Central and Eastern Europe. It offers a nuanced discussion of the merits and drawbacks of NATO enlargement across the different actors involved and compares the results of the policy against potential alternatives that were not chosen. Particular attention is given to NATO enlargement’s influence on the course of U.S. foreign policy, democracy and security in Central and Eastern Europe, NATO’s own development as a political and military institution, and relations with China and Russia (including the 2022 Russia-Ukraine War). Written for an engaged audience, the book is designed to appeal to students, researchers, and policymakers alike while offering both policy insights and avenues for future scholarship.

Ukraine has emerged as a new factor on the European security scene since 1991, and this book explores the ramifications of that development. It lays out the views of leading North American, West European, and Ukrainian security analysts on European security issues during the next decade and their priority, strategies for approaching these issues, Ukraine's role in European security, and the Atlantic Community and Ukraine's security. Then it compares these views and assesses the implications of the complex pattern of similarities and differences in perspective.

The decision to expand NATO eastward is a fateful venture that has received surprisingly little public attention. Advocates of enlargement insist that the step will foster cooperation, consolidate democracy, and promote stability throughout Europe. But the contributors to this volume conclude that an expanded NATO is a dubious, potentially disastrous idea. Instead of healing the wounds of the Cold War, it threatens to create a new division of Europe and undermine friendly relations with Russia. Even worse, it will establish expensive, dangerous, and probably unsustainable security obligations for the United States.

This work evaluates the pros and cons of NATO enlargement. It explains why NATO offered membership to three of its Cold War adversaries and makes recommendations about which countries, if any, should be offered membership in the future.