NATO Under Pressure

This article examines some of the formidable challenges and concerns of North Atlantic Treaty Organization that could influence its unity and integrity. A combination of issues that encompass military problems, internal political glitches and critical rhetoric from the President of the United States may undermine NATO’s capacity to act in the best interest of its members. Now even more than ever before, this causes uncertainty about the future of the Alliance. Therefore, this paper opens a discussion about possible scenarios for NATO’s disintegration and how this might affect some of the smallest member states, namely, Bulgaria. Admittedly, the security and stability of Bulgaria, which has limitations in terms of national capacities and capabilities, is at risk. Without the protection of NATO, there is a high probability that the Balkans could once again jump into competition and confrontation. Regional actors and global players might try to impose their influence on the Balkans. For Bulgaria, this means change in the security landscape and uncertain future alternatives. No one on the Balkans will be truly safe.