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 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 work evaluates the pros and cons of NATO enlargement. It explains why NATO offered membership to three of its Cold War adversaries and makes recommendations about which countries, if any, should be offered membership in the future.

Mobilizing an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners, this book reviews the history and consequences of NATO’s post-Cold War enlargement into Central and Eastern Europe. It offers a nuanced discussion of the merits and drawbacks of NATO enlargement across the different actors involved and compares the results of the policy against potential alternatives that were not chosen. Particular attention is given to NATO enlargement’s influence on the course of U.S. foreign policy, democracy and security in Central and Eastern Europe, NATO’s own development as a political and military institution, and relations with China and Russia (including the 2022 Russia-Ukraine War). Written for an engaged audience, the book is designed to appeal to students, researchers, and policymakers alike while offering both policy insights and avenues for future scholarship.

The first tranche of NATO enlargement-adding Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic next year-will help stabilize an historically unstable region and bring security benefits to all of Europe. Enlargement raises a number of difficult questions. How should enlargement unfold in the future? What should be the standards for selecting new members? Above all, what is NATO trying to achieve by enlarging further? Enlargement needs to be guided by an explicit strategic rationale. Membership should not be granted simply for democratic conduct. Enlargement should occur only when it enhances NATO as a credible military alliance and produces compelling security benefits.

This report includes papers presented at the conference "Eurasian Security in the Era of NATO Enlargement, held in August 1997. The Strategic Studies Institute invited analysts and officials from all of the Central and East European countries, including those invited to join NATO, those not invited, and those former Soviet states with a vital interest in the outcome. In order to clarify fully the emerging security agenda in Europe and hear from member states and other interested parties, the panelists provided assessments of their respective countries' perspectives, of their own governments' policies, and of how they see emerging trends in European security issues. This monograph contains a representative selection of the papers presented at the conference and offers a broad spectrum of views, including some not often heard, on the issues connected with NATO enlargement.