NATO’s Eastern Front

Part of the Global Forecast 2015

Faced with Russia’s military aggression and its use of hybrid warfare in Ukraine, NATO remains caught in the double bind of shrinking defense resources and a continued lack of consensus on how to respond to this aggression beyond political condemnations, the imposition of economic sanctions, and enhanced exercise and readiness measures. NATO’s new Eastern Front—consisting of the most active NATO members, the Baltic States, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria— wants physical assurances that NATO will prevent potential Russian aggression, not reassurances that NATO will respond to aggression after it has occurred.

Andrew A. Michta