From co-operation to confrontation

The NATO–Russia relations in light of the Warsaw Summit

Abstract

2016 and the Warsaw Summit did not bring anything new in the bilateral relations of NATO and Russia, which have been frozen for the last few years. However, if we are reading the Summit Communique we can find - explicitly or implicitly - Russia and NATO’s reaction on the eastern threats in the paragraphs. By examining the relations between NATO and Russia we cannot forget the fact that the security of Europe and the whole euro-atlantic area cannot be separated from Russia. Moreover, the security challenges of the 21st century indeed make it necessary to involve such a meaningful actor as Russia. Nonetheless, common actions or ad hoc cooperation do not require or presume common political goals, similar values and processes.