EUROPE (Washington Insider Magazine) – As tensions continue to rise American officials are expected to meet with other NATO countries and even Russia to discuss the security crisis enveloping Europe. The tensions continue to increase as Russia deploys nearly 100,000 troops next to the Ukrainian border. While this may not be enough to take the entire country it would be enough to conduct limited land grabs and cause other chaos inside Ukrainian borders. These actions by the Russian government could lead to things getting out of hand very quickly as we face the most dangerous moment in world politics since the Cold War concluded. In order to end the crisis Russia is demanding that the US and all of NATO’s 29 member countries promise to not include Ukraine or any other former Soviet republic nations in the alliance in the future. They also request that we promise to not station weapons in existing Eastern Europe NATO members, such as Poland.
Russia aims to increase its sphere of influence over Eastern Europe and its formerly subjugated neighbors which is something NATO can not allow to happen. Any deal on the proposed terms of Russian President Vladimir Putin would be unacceptable.
The basic conversation about security in Europe needs to change at a fundamental level. It is time to develop new concepts and ideas for how to do it. As of right now Ukraine and Georgia should not be allowed to join NATO. NATO promised their eventual membership back at its Summit in 2008 but did so without saying exactly when or how that might happen. As of right now both countries as well as many other Eastern European countries are given no military protection from other NATO members. Russia’s desire to completely dominate its neighbors are the root cause of this crisis and also explains why Russia has kept Georgia and Ukraine destabilized over the last 14 years.
It is time the countries that make up NATO begin to create a new security plan for the countries in Eastern Europe that aren’t directly involved in the tensions and related crisis. It must start with NATO, then include the countries in question before beginning to negotiate with President Putin. This plan would have to require Russia and NATO to uphold the security of all the countries in the region and Russia would be asked to withdraw troops from the region…and also to show proof that this has been done. After all of that has occurred the sanctions that were imposed on Russia due to its aggressive streak against its neighbors would have to be lifted with certain precautions in case of violations.
These neutral countries would keep their rights to participate in large scale security operations even if they are led by NATO. They would be able to think or describe themselves as whatever they want including calling themselves Western states. In every sense of the word they would have complete autonomy and sovereignty. In any formal sense they would not be an ally of the United States and that is what it ultimately means to be apart of NATO.
