Stanley Kober

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance among the United States, Canada, Iceland, and nine European countries against Soviet aggression. In the following viewpoint, Stanley Kober argues that Russia may feel threatened if three former Soviet satellite countries are added to the alliance. If Russia feels its security is at risk, it may take actions to defend itself, he asserts. Because NATO guarantees to protect members in the alliance, those actions could easily lead to a nuclear war with Russia, Kober maintains. Kober is a research fellow in foreign policy at the Cato Institute, a public policy think tank.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Alexander Lebed, as cited by Kober, how will Russia react to a NATO expansion that includes its former satellites?
2. In...