Events

Established in 1949 to safeguard the freedom and security of the North Atlantic Area, NATO served as a collective defense alliance against the Soviet Union. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO redefined its mission by observing that the security of the Western alliance was best served by its eastward expansion. NATO’s Big Bang expansion in 2004 to the Baltic states, support of Ukraine and Georgia, and involvement in Afghanistan and Libya have left Russia with unabated perceived security threats. This led to Russia annexing Crimea in 2014 and invading Ukraine in 2022. Today, NATO is expanding its role by developing an Asia-Pacific mission to counter China’s aggression. This expansion has raised questions about NATO’s fundamental mission. Does NATO defend the security of Europe, protect American global preeminence, and/or enrich American defense corporations? How does focusing on Asia help the alliance preserve military support for Ukraine and sustain a regular operational presence in Asia? How will Russia and China react? In this special lecture, Dr. Rabil will examine NATO’s evolution, contextualize the aforementioned questions, and theorize about what the future may hold for NATO in general and the United States in particular.