A Secure Eastern Border Depends on the Stability of NATO Member States

BY: CRISTIAN GHERASIM

Recent NATO summit: Defense of eastern border, from Estonia to Bulgaria, heavily militarized yet politically fragile.

[{"selector":"#anim-6f883e51-6da0-45a9-af67-3f69fbfe9cfb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb814e07-b478-414e-8aa3-c4a8bd32899e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120.96619%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1425106a-a204-438e-a3dc-2b64481b7829 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0.5211595721658286%, -2.282873252070069%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

NATO's east flank: exposed to Russia, Ukraine's war effects. Diverse and stable north, chaotic south. Vital regional security.

[{"selector":"#anim-e2fc6d53-86b0-4c9b-848a-c4baeb61ff54 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-1.6735012928436053%, -2.4917601368524642%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c56495cb-6c57-44a8-8085-6bd77e079c9f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c4d9836-d6bc-47ce-aad2-aedd756f4c0e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120.96619%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Stable Baltic democracies, close Russia borders, aware of vulnerability amid Ukraine crisis and NATO isolation.

[{"selector":"#anim-3274ec9f-38ef-446e-8371-1c0fd67a8dea [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0.4169276577326598%, -4.545454545454547%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ff0fb0f-0d94-4bfe-ba78-67e9c7367ae9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c88d0975-c2c3-497e-a121-ebcc47c15697","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 121.10176%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Close to Ukraine, Eastern Europe empathizes due to Soviet history. Commendable support for refugees and assistance.

[{"selector":"#anim-89e547d5-6436-4f23-8baa-0eec12c09dd5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.4013401829347838%, -0.056695040440191316%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50d4b139-8b30-42ba-a9ad-14f7f487f952","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6b22ff5-9c5f-403f-b718-dffa5812f481","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120.96619%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Eastern Europe leads in aid to Ukraine based on GDP share. Estonia provides the most, followed by Latvia.

[{"selector":"#anim-b2c3b961-fb67-486d-9fd6-2273b7acd8f4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7ad2e470-e0ae-4c84-afd2-59d24f84452e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-65abc50d-22a6-465e-81d6-74cce4a5eb4b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 124.72369%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Eastern Europe drives EU change, a moral leader. But goodwill and military help aren't sufficient, internal politics crucial.

[{"selector":"#anim-3e06b7ff-bf4d-499c-b2f9-3d65f60c6a16 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55e14469-0d6f-452f-a28a-9884f82c078e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-902ea9c3-d5c5-41a0-ae48-39997b265c3f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 124.72369%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Unstable Southern Eastern Europe, Poland's democracy backslides, concerns NATO's strong eastern partner in crisis.

[{"selector":"#anim-aded6967-db79-4bd0-88a9-4e0fdf5337be [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 2.7581644055565207e-7%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-15192a97-bde3-4aaa-9803-8aa79622df60","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5cbdbd45-4b12-46fd-9713-09609957d6b5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 124.72369%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Hungary's erosion of democratic institutions and relations with Putin could give Russia and China influence in Brussels.

[{"selector":"#anim-745e48a8-6e06-4b66-b7bc-7da03ce6cc95 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-1.34343356380525%, 0.09549652808557922%) scale(0.9090909090909091)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11d10af7-b25d-40fb-9cdb-effbeaa9b316","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2bc4d98a-a116-4c7c-9061-62a41227492f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120.82081%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

CLICK HERE TO READ

[{"selector":"#anim-a8d396fe-8e4f-4ad0-b603-f97749e33519","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}]