NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a transatlantic political and military alliance established in 1949 to maintain security and stability among member states. Russia, on the other hand, is a country with a large military and has historically cooperated with NATO. However, in recent years, relations between NATO and Russia have become increasingly strained, with the two sides disagreeing on a number of issues. This article will analyze why NATO is targeting Russia from a historical and realistic point of view.
1. Historical Background: Hostile relations during the Cold War.
During the Cold War, relations between NATO and the USSR (now Russia) were very tense. At the beginning of NATO's existence, its main goal was to confront the Soviet Union and its dependencies. NATO member states believed that the expansionist policy of the Soviet Union posed a threat to European security and therefore needed to unite to defend the security of Western countries. During the Cold War, a series of military confrontations between NATO and the Soviet Union began, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although the Cold War ended in 1991, relations between NATO and Russia are still affected by historical legacies.
2. Practical issues: the Ukraine crisis and the war in Syria.
Relations between NATO and Russia have become increasingly tense in recent years, largely due to differences over real-world issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the war in Syria. In 2014, when the Ukraine crisis erupted, NATO imposed economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation on Russia as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. In addition, the two sides are also divided on the issue of the war in Syria, with NATO supporting the opposition and Russia supporting Syria**.
3. Geopolitics: The Game of Competition and Cooperation.
Tensions between NATO and Russia are also influenced by geopolitical factors. NATO's eastward expansion has included a number of former Soviet republics, making Russia feel geopolitical pressure. At the same time, Russia's rise in military, economic, scientific and technological aspects has also made NATO have a competitive psychology against Russia. In this context, the relationship between NATO and Russia presents a situation of competition and cooperation.
Fourth, the security dilemma: mutual suspicion and an arms race.
The security dilemma between NATO and Russia is also one of the reasons for the tension between the two sides. The two sides have mutual suspicions about military deployment, missile defense, and nuclear weapons. NATO is concerned about Russia's military rise, and Russia is concerned about NATO's military threat. This mutual suspicion has led to a new round of arms race in the military field between the two sides, which has further aggravated the tension between the two sides.
To sum up, NATO's reasons for targeting Russia mainly include historical problems, practical problems, geopolitical and security dilemmas and other factors. Although there is room for cooperation between the two sides in some areas, it is difficult to fundamentally change the tension in bilateral relations in the short term. In this case, the interaction between NATO and Russia will determine the development of the future international political landscape.