| SUMMARY: |
Back in 1814-1815, during the Congress of Vienna, the great powers were setting the
basis of a new political order by restoring the balance of power on the European continent. A
leap in time across two centuries reveals an unstable and unpredictable European security
architecture dominated by geopolitics of resentment and rising tides of conflict. The polarity
of the European system took a critical turn in the 21st century when Russia entered a period of
open contestation of the European order showing a renewed impetus in pursuing its irredentist
ambitions. Conversely, the mounting Russian threats determined NATO to pre-emptively
employ its collective defence and activate the greatest military manoeuvre since the end of
the Cold War. This unequivocal return to Realpolitik appears to have been determined by an
inverted aim of the EU Eastern enlargement which intended to integrate and stabilize the
so called Russian “near abroad” through democratic reforms. Paradoxically, in its quest for
stability, the enlargement process uncovered the actual depth and the intensity of the East-
West division, forcing the main power poles to embark on a long term political confrontation
that has all the premises to become a military confrontation. |
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