Was Russias bad behavior caused by NATO expansion?
While there’s plenty of rhetoric to this effect, there’s not much evidence. The case that NATO expansion was to blame goes something like this: If NATO had not extended to Russia’s borders (the inclusion of the Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — is the push most often cited, although some people also feel that Poland should not have been included), then Russia would be more agreeable and less likely to abusively coerce its neighbors. I doubt that for several reasons. First, Russian abuse is the No. 1 reason why most states seek NATO membership. The Poles, Baltic countries, Ukrainians, and Georgians want to get in because of Russian behavior. It’s possible that the leaders (and in most cases, the populations) of these states are simply crazy and that NATO entry will make them more vulnerable to Russian coercion, but I’m pretty far from convinced. Second, there are compelling reasons to believe that Russia rejected international norms regarding the territorial integrit
