[wiseprince]

So the argument is that if NATO expands Russia will remain weak?

[pierrem15]

No, the argument is that Russia is both weak and aggressive now and will be stronger and more aggressive in the future. So now is a good opportunity to get into NATO when Russia can't do much about it.

I don't think many Americans understand how Europeans are perceiving this conflict: there was a presumption that there would never again be a large scale war in Europe post-1945 and especially post-1989. All those illusions are now shattered.