Security Vulnerabilities on NATO's Eastern Flank Worry Europe

Poland is now the Chair of the European Union. It is seeking to build a huge defence infrastructure along the Russian and Belarus borders called the 'East Shield'.

- CHINTAMANI MAHAPATRA

Today, an expanded NATO appears to be less secure than the old NATO, which was set up against feared aggression from the former Soviet Union. The expected peace dividend from the Soviet disintegration and end of the Cold War has proved to be transitory. In fact, insecurity in Eastern Europe, Balkans and Scandinavia has persisted more pronouncedly for more than a decade now and specifically from the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia.

The Russia-Ukraine war initiated by Russia in 2022 was fiercely resisted by NATO under the leadership of US President Joe Biden until the Democrats' defeat in the 2024 US presidential election and the re-entry of Donald Trump to the White House in January 2025. When Trump repeatedly asserted that he would quickly end the war in Ukraine, NATO members in general and front-line NATO members, such as Poland, in particular seemed elated. And why? There was no clear-cut victor in the war, the devastation of the Ukrainian infrastructure and economy was visible to all, Russia was unable to leverage its military superiority to win the war; and significantly, Europe was reeling under deep energy crisis and its economy was spiralling down.

But the euphoria was short lived and months after assuming office the Trump administration has not yet been able to facilitate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, let alone conclude a peace agreement. Trump's apparent policy of arriving at a détente with Russia, taking a hard position on Ukraine and side-lining European countries in ceasefire negotiations has led to anger, frustration and rising fear in European capitals, particularly in new NATO member countries of Europe, such as Poland, Finland, Sweden and the Baltic Republics.