Advocates of NATO's enlargement believe the policy will have far-reaching positive consequences, such as helping to consolidate democratic and market reforms in eastern and central Europe. In contrast, critics of the policy believe that NATO expansion will have far-reaching negative consequences. For example, they worry that enlargement will undermine Russia's willingness to co-operate with the West, and believe that new members will drag NATO into a region that is historically a tinderbox. NATO's decision to offer membership to three of its former Cold War adversaries - Poland, Hungary and...

This work evaluates the pros and cons of NATO enlargement.