Transformation of NATO's Strategic Concept in the Post–Cold War Era: A Historical and Analytical Inquiry
Journal: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Year: 2025

Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has grappled with redefining its purpose amid changing threats and missions. Although the Alliance expanded its role to include humanitarian interventions and counterterrorism operations—particularly after 9/11—Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea signaled a renewed need for collective defense along NATO’s eastern flank. Initial responses, such as the Readiness Action Plan and Enhanced Forward Presence, underscored a partial return to deterrence, yet it was Russ