This research examines some aspects of the European security problem in the next fifteen years: the future position of Russia and Germany as major strategic players with focus on the mutual relationships between them and possible threats to Poland's security stemming from their increasing role as well as the implications for the US strategy in Europe. The analysis of future scenarios gives the picture of Germany as a country that consequently will transform its economic prosperity into political power within an increasing sphere of political, economic, and cultural dependence. Russia will play a decisively more important role and will try to restore its previous position as a world superpower. To neutralize such trends some determinants of Poland's security policy were defined to coincide with American and Polish interests in the region.

This research examines some aspects of the European security problem in the next fifteen years: the future position of Russia and Germany as major strategic players with focus on the mutual relationships between them and possible threats to Poland's security stemming from their increasing role as well as the implications for the US strategy in Europe. The analysis of future scenarios gives the picture of Germany as a country that consequently will transform its economic prosperity into political power within an increasing sphere of political, economic, and cultural dependence. Russia will play a decisively more important role and will try to restore its previous position as a world superpower. To neutralize such trends some determinants of Poland's security policy were defined to coincide with American and Polish interests in the region.

In this collection the leading authorities address the complexity of present day NATO, its inherent contradictions, and its current direction. The authors reflect on the significance of these issues for the alliance's future prospects, for Russia, and for European security generally. The Future of NATO looks at the conceptual and theoretical approaches that underlie the question of enlarging NATO's membership and the consequences of enlargement on international relations. It examines the policies of some of NATO's leading member states - including Canada, which has recently begun a two-year term on the security council - and deals with the issue of enlargement from the point of view of the East European candidates, focusing on Russia and its opposition to the current process. Contributors include Andràs Balogh (Loràn Eötvös University), Martin Bourgeois, Charles-Philippe David (UQAM), André P. Donneur (UQAM), David G. Haglund (Queen's), Philippe Hébert (Montréal), Stanislav J. Kirschbaum (Glendon College), Richard L. Kugler (RAND, National Defence University), David Law (Queen's), Paul Létourneau (Montréal), Jacques Lévesque (UQAM), Gale Mattox (U.S. Naval Academy), Marie-Claude Plantin (Lumière Lyon 2), Sergei Plekhanov (York), Jane M.O. Sharp (Kings College, London).

This study presents the outcome of a Track II dialogue among civil society leaders, security experts, academics, and government representatives from across the Baltic States, Poland, and the United States who came together to discuss the shared threats and challenges facing NATO’s eastern flank in light of Russia’s aggressive behavior toward its neighbors. The objective of the study was to enhance scholarship on the challenges stemming from the Ukraine crisis and to inform public discussions on the evolving nature and future of security and defense relations among the United States, the Baltic States, and Poland.

Considering Poland's history and threats to its national security, Poland cannot guarantee its security alone. Polish national security depends upon ties to existing security organizations and other powerful nation-states. Because of its geo-strategic position and the nation's security structure, Poland should be part of a security structure that assures equilibrium with its potential threats. The same tenet plays an important role in the context of enlargement. After 1989, Poland was searching for security within NATO against Russian domination and German resurgence. Now, through the enlargement of NATO, Poland seeks a network of countries that are capable of facing new security challenges such as terrorism, proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, and at the same time, creating a stable, democratic and secure Europe. Throughout its history, Poland's security has been threatened by hostility of two powerful neighbors, Russia and Germany, and by its inability to forge alliances with other nations. Shortsighted policy and lack of understanding concerning regional alliances has affected Poland significantly four times in its history, ending in lost sovereignty and independence. The collapse of the Soviet Union gave Poland new independence and a chance to build its own security environment. Aimed at anchoring itself in reliable western security structures, Poland started to build good relations with its neighbors. By joining NATO in 1999, Poland achieved its basic security goals, but has not solved all of its security concerns. Knowing that security is not static, Poland must answer several questions: Is NATO membership sufficient for Poland's security considering its traditional and contemporary security concerns? If not, will NATO enlargement meet Poland's security needs? Conclusion: The enlargement of NATO has strategic importance for Poland's future security.

In this timely book, distinguished scholars from the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow take up the challenge passionately articulated in the Foreword by Eduard Shevardnadze. Considering the unprecedented opportunities for unifying a region split into antagonistic blocs for more than forty

At the EU's Helsinki summit in 1999, European leaders took a decisive step toward the development of a new Common European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) aimed at giving the EU a stronger role in international affairs backed by a credible military force. This report analyzes the processes leading to the ESDP by examining why and how this new European consensus came about. It touches upon the controversies and challenges that still lie ahead. What are the national interests and driving forces behind it, and what steps need to be taken to realize Europe's ambitions to achieve a workable European crisis mgmt. capability?