NATO: the view from the East

White, S., Korosteleva, J. and Allison, R. (2006) NATO: the view from the East. European Security, 15(2), pp. 165-190. (doi: 10.1080/09662830600903769)

Abstract

Relations between Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and NATO have placed more emphasis on cooperation than confrontation since the Cold War, and Ukraine has begun to move towards membership. At the popular level, on the evidence of national surveys in 2004 and 2005, NATO continues to be perceived as a significant threat, but in Russia and Ukraine it comes behind the United States (in Belarus the numbers are similar). There are few socioeconomic predictors of support for NATO membership that are significant across all three countries, but there are wide differences by region, and by attitudinal variables such as support for a market economy and for EU membership. The relationship between popular attitudes and foreign policy is normally a distant one; but in Ukraine NATO membership will require public support in a referendum, and in all three cases public attitudes on foreign policy issues can influence foreign policy in other ways, including the composition of parliamentary committees. In newly independent states whose international allegiances are still evolving, the associations between public opinion and foreign and security policy may often be closer than in the established democracies.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: White, Professor Stephen
• Authors: White, S., Korosteleva, J., and Allison, R.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics; J Political Science > JZ International relations; D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History; J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe)
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: European Security
• ISSN: 0966-2839
• ISSN (Online): 1746-1545
• Published Online: 24 January 2007
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2006 Routledge
• First Published: First published in European Security 15(2):165-190
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher