NATO'S UNNEEDED EXPANSION FOLLOWING THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACT ON PAKISTAN

Abstract

With the end of the WWII, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union's wartime coordination became dysfunctional. In 1949, the United States and its allies Canada, along with many Western European states established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to guarantee collective defense against the Soviet Union. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the world became unipolar when prior opponents were no longer remained to challenge Western supremacy. Hence, the political analysts started to believe that NATO was no longer required. But, for nearly three decades, The NATO Alliance avoided defining its long-term purpose, still welcoming for an eastward expansion. NATO has expanded five times since 1990.