Contents	7
	1 Introduction	11
	1 The Subject of the Euro-Atlantic Security System	11
	2 The Neorealist Research Perspective	13
	3 The Structure of the Book	20
	References	23
	Background	25
	2 The Euro-Atlantic Security System in the 1990s	26
	1 The Genesis of a New System	26
	1.1 The Fall of Real Socialism and Political Transformation in Eastern Bloc Countries	26
	1.2 Dismantling of the Eastern Bloc	30
	1.3 The Breakup of the USSR and the Emergence of the Commonwealth of Independent States	32
	1.4 The Unification of Germany	33
	1.5 Accelerating European Integration	35
	1.6 From Military Confrontation to Arms Control	37
	1.7 The Beginning of NATO’s Transformation	41
	2 The Structure of the System	45
	2.1 Participating States	45
	2.2 International Institutions	47
	2.3 Intersystem Ties	49
	3 The System’s Functioning and Evolution	51
	References	57
	3 Changing Challenges and Threats for Euro-Atlantic Security in the 21st Century	63
	1 Understanding the Challenges and Threats for International Security	63
	1.1 Threats	63
	1.2 Challenges	64
	2 The Reconfiguration of the International Order	66
	3 Terrorism	74
	4 Military Threats	77
	4.1 Nuclear Weapons and the Threat of Proliferation	77
	4.2 Conventional Weapons	80
	4.3 Military Spending	81
	5 Other Threats and Challenges	83
	5.1 Cyber Threats	84
	5.2 Economic and Energy Threats	85
	5.3 Environmental Threats	86
	5.4 Migration Challenges	87
	References	89
	4 The Security Concepts of Participants in the Euro-Atlantic Security System	94
	1 Identification of Threats and Challenges	95
	1.1 Terrorism as a Main Threat	95
	1.2 Changing Perceptions of Challenges and Threats	99
	2 Security Policy Aims, Means, and Methods	112
	3 Similarities and Differences Between Security Concepts in the Light of International Relations Theory	127
	References	132
	The Functioning of the System: From Cooperation to Crisis	137
	5 The Failure to Eliminate Terrorism	138
	1 The American War on Terror	138
	2 The Actions of the European Union with Respect to Combating Terrorism	142
	3 Cooperation Between the EU and the USA	146
	4 NATO’s Cooperation with Russia	152
	References	155
	6 The West’s Dominance and Expansion and Russia’s Response	157
	1 The Promotion of Democracy by the West	157
	1.1 The Western Balkans	161
	1.2 The Countries of the Former Soviet Union	163
	2 Further NATO Expansion	169
	3 Strengthening NATO’s Eastern Flank	174
	References	183
	7 The European Union in Crisis	187
	1 Problems with the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe	187
	2 New Regulations in the Treaty of Lisbon	189
	3 Stagnation of the CSDP	193
	3.1 The United Kingdom’s Growing Euro-Skepticism	193
	3.2 The Impact of the 2008 Financial Crisis on the CSDP	196
	3.2.1 Cuts in Military Budgets	197
	3.2.2 Limitations on Crisis Reaction Operations	198
	4 Attempts to Revive the CSDP	199
	4.1 The Idea of Creating a European Army	199
	4.2 The Issue of the EU General Headquarters	202
	4.3 New Efforts to Strengthen the CSDP	206
	5 The Migration Crisis	208
	6 Threats to the EU as an Integration Project	210
	References	214
	8 The Marginalization of the OSCE	217
	1 The Achievements of the CSCE in Previous Years	217
	2 The Declining Importance of the OSCE	220
	3 Attempts to Revive the OSCE	222
	References	226
	Consequences and Prospects	229
	9 The Ukraine Crisis and Its Implications for the Euro-Atlantic Security System	230
	1 Two Aspects of the Ukraine Crisis	230
	1.1 The Internal Crisis	230
	1.2 The International Crisis	232
	2 The Outbreak of the Crisis	235
	3 The Motives of the Parties Involved	239
	3.1 The West’s Motives	239
	3.2 Russia’s Motives	244
	3.3 Third-Party Assessments	246
	4 The Consequences of the Crisis for the Euro-Atlantic Security System	248
	4.1 Geopolitical Rivalry	248
	4.2 Military Confrontation in Europe	250
	4.3 The Weakening of Ukraine	252
	4.4 The Weakening of Euro-Atlantic Security	257
	5 How to Emerge from the Crisis?	261
	References	266
	10 Conclusions: Consequences of the Crisis of the Euro-Atlantic Security System and Prospects for Its Evolution	270
	1 Growing Divergence of Interests and Rivalry for Spheres of Influence	270
	2 Redistribution of Power in the System and the Weakening of Euro-Atlantic Security	274
	3 The Weakening of the Euro-Atlantic Security System in the Global International Order	277
	4 The Need for New Institutional Solutions	281
	References	287
	Bibliography	289