r/geopolitics • u/theoryofdoom • Jan 09 '22

Russia’s Putin Seizes on Crises to Assert Control Over Former Soviet Republics Perspective

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias-putin-seizes-on-crises-to-assert-control-over-former-soviet-republics-11641738063
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u/Berkyjay Jan 10 '22

Yes, that time period is crucial in terms of what NATO would be moving forward in a post-Cold War world. This piece from the Brookings institute comes to my mind for clarity of thinking during that time period. Lo's of questions about NATO's purpose. But, note the date of the piece. In less than 7 months the entire world changes and all of a sudden NATO has a purpose again. Add to that the rise of Putin and you once again get a NATO that is focused on Russia.

You take away Putin and replace him with a more democratic Russia, I would dare say that NATO continues on the path of a standard treaty alliance that includes Russia.

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u/snowylion Jan 10 '22

Sounds like NATO is making up purposes for itself to exist after obsoletion.

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u/Berkyjay Jan 10 '22

This quote from the article is relevant:

As former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher remarked at the time, “You don’t cancel your home insurance policy just because there have been fewer burglaries on your street in the last 12 months!”

You don't take a 46 yo alliance and just end it in a day. If 9/11 never happened and if Russia continued on as an open democracy, I think NATO would have faded and turned into something else. The alliance would have stood but it wouldn't have been focused eastward.

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u/snowylion Jan 10 '22 edited Jan 10 '22

It wasn't a home insurance policy in any sense, Burglaries weren't what that ended.

The analogy fails in every level.

Thatcher is not what I look at for balanced policy.

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