Interesting perspective: By 1997, it was clear Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic would enter the alliance. In 2004, NATO admitted another seven former Soviet bloc countries, three of which—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—had been part of the USSR. In 2009, Croatia and Albania joined the club. Six former Soviet republics—Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan—now link their militaries to NATO’s via the “Partnership for Peace” program. All five former Soviet republics in Central Asia—Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan—provide NATO countries with some basing, transit, refueling, or overflight rights for use in the Afghan war. From Putin’s perspective, in other words, the United States hardly looks in retreat. To the contrary, the post-Cold War period has brought one long march by America and its allies closer and closer to the border of Russia itself. It doesnt justify what Russia is doing in the Crimea; but perhaps it does help explain what the other side is thinking. If youre looking at the world geopolitically from Moscow outwards, things are starting to feel a little hemmed in... in my opinion, thats not necessarily a bad thing, but its no surprise its creating some international tension.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:22:04 +0000
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