The expansion of the North Atlantic alliance (NATO) to the East and the policy of the Russian Federation (in 1990's)

The relevance of this study is due to the ongoing international events which are dangerous to Russian interests. It is referred to the continuation of the policy of enlargement of NATO and the military exercises on the Russian border. This article discusses the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Eastern bloc. The paper emphasizes the problems of alternative development in Eastern Europe countries and their desire to join NATO. Besides, the author considers the policy of Russia which implies the transition from attempts at cooperation and interaction with the North Atlantic Alliance to countering the process of approaching NATO to its borders. The research distinguishes the key events that influenced on the development of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation in the 1990s and explains the position of the Russian leaders against the accession of Central and Eastern Europe countries to the Alliance. At the stage of formation of a new European security system, the author estimates the Partnership for Peace Program. In conclusion, the article summed up the Russian foreign policy in the early 1990s.