Ariel Cohen

In 1998 Congress debated whether to ratify the addition of three former Soviet allies—Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic—to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The countries were finally admitted to NATO, but some critics argued that this step would be a serious blunder that would antagonize Russia. In the following viewpoint, Ariel Cohen argues that those who fear that NATO enlargement would harm relations between the United States and Russia are mistaken. He argues that Russia is too dependent on investment and cooperation from the United States and Western Europe to embark on an anti-American foreign policy regardless of NATO’s expansion. Cohen is a senior policy analyst for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

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