| Summary/Abstract |
For 70 years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been the backbone of American and European security and a major force for global stability. The unifying threat is now Russia, a quasi-imperial power whose leader, President Vladimir Putin, is intent on reasserting the country’s control over its ‘near abroad’ and re-establishing its status as a great power. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has produced cohesive Western and in particular NATO resistance, while its military performance there has been stunningly poor. After it rebuilds its economy and military, however, more Russian aggression is possible and perhaps likely. Given Russia’s reckless aggression in Ukraine, NATO members’ readiness and implementation, especially in the front-line Baltic states, now merit more robust discussions. NATO must also revise its Strategic Concept to reflect the primacy of the Russian threat. Above all, the Alliance must have the will to compete, and the US must lead and encourage it.
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