Left, in a 1969 speech on the 20th anniversary of NATO,
President Richard Nixon speaks to European leaders about the
"fist" of the military alliance. Right, NATO fighters in Italy
prepare for air strikes against Libya / AP, Reuters This post is
part of a 12-part series exploring how the U.S.-Russia
relationship has shaped the world since the December 1991 end of
the Soviet Union. Read the full series here. Twenty years after
the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO can point with pride to its
history. But can it point with confidence to its future? NATO's
viability in the 21st century depends on applying the lessons of
the past, but it also depends on seeing the present clearly.
NATO's finest achievement is its contribution to the peaceful
resolution of the Cold War. Allies bonded together in unity of
purpose with a common strategy, projecting credible force to
preserve trans-Atlantic security. The fall of the Soviet Union
cemented NATO's record of ensuring peace and prosperity for its
members without becoming thei