U.s. Army War College

The Relevancy of Nato Membership in Russia's Near Abroad (Defense) U.s. Army War College

Since the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the Soviet Union, many nations in Russia?s Near Abroad have expended time and effort to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In recent years the integration of Western European economies with that of Russia, especially in terms of energy dependence, places the West in a position of weakness in the face of a newly resurgent Russia, whose leadership faces a variety of internal challenges of their own. The Russo-Georgian War of 2008, along with comments recently made in several Western European capitals, calls into question the resolution of traditional NATO members to honor their treaty obligations to nations of the Near Abroad in the event of Russian aggression, as well as the value of the effort expended to obtain NATO membership by these countries.