Bridges or Borders: NATO Must Choose

The re-emerging security challenges posed by Russia on Europe's periphery have forced NATO to shake the rust from its aging toolbox and respond to what U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, speaking at the German Marshall Fund's Transatlantic Talks, called "the greatest challenge to European security that we have seen at least since the Balkan wars." While conversations on NATO's transformation, ongoing missions, and expeditionary forces abound in the run up to September's NATO Summit in Wales, Russia's contradictory actions of recognizing Ukraine's government while funding anti-government forces continue to complicate Western responses. Even with the recent agreement on a sanctions package following the downing of MH17, exceptions signal the precarious nature of Western resolve in meeting the crisis directly.