Challenges of NATO aspıratıon: the dıscrepancy between rhetorıc and realıty

Khayal Iskandarov,Piotr Gawliczek

doi:10.33445/sds.2020.10.2.3

Abstract

The Russo-Georgia war in 2008 and the conflict in Ukraine in 2014 galvanized the countries, which are namely squeezed between NATO and Russia into considering their strategies again. The paper examines Russia’s efforts to maintain its influence in its “near abroad” in the face of NATO’s enlargement. It principally focuses on identifying the challenges particular countries face as obstacles to NATO accession. The arguments raised in the paper prove that, the primary reasons of Russia-Georgia War and Ukraine conflict are associated with these countries’ NATO aspiration. An argument regarding the Alliance’s reluctance to actively engage in partner nations is also presented. The objective of the study is to consider the repercussions of NATO aspiration and introduce the real prospects of cooperation with NATO. The research methods primarily used in the book are comparative analysis and synthesis.

Highlights

Having analyzed the thorny path of two postsoviet countries, Georgia and Ukraine to NATO, the dichotomy between the rhetoric by member states and the reality, which is mainly shaped by Russia, become more and more conspicuous
While it is true that, nothing in NATO policy or strategy can reasonably be seen as a threat to Russia, this does not mean that NATO enlargement is not threatening Russia
Unlike the 2010 document, in the doctrine of 2014 the cooperation with NATO has not been viewed as a factor of constituting a collective security, the nature of the threats mentioned is the same

Summary

Introduction

Having analyzed the thorny path of two postsoviet countries, Georgia and Ukraine to NATO, the dichotomy between the rhetoric by member states and the reality, which is mainly shaped by Russia, become more and more conspicuous. Russian pressure on these countries is tangible enough. Most Western policymakers dismiss Russia’s assertions that NATO’s enlargement threatens it. While it is true that, nothing in NATO policy or strategy can reasonably be seen as a threat to Russia, this does not mean that NATO enlargement is not threatening Russia

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Results

Conclusion