From alliance to security community: NATO, Russia and the power of identity

The evolution of NATO constitutes one of the most important developments in post-Cold War international security. Despite predictions of fragmentation from within or supercession from above, the Alliance has emerged as a — perhaps the — dominant institution in contemporary security relations. While debates in the late 1980s often revolved around whether NATO would, could, or should survive, they now centre around the implications of its centrality, and its current and (possible) future enlargement. While disputes remain concerning the wisdom of NATO’s policies, the place of the Alliance at the centre of contemporary relations seems beyond dispute.