Through the incorporation of fourteen new Eastern European nations as members, and forty nations around the world as partners, in the last thirty years, NATO has transformed the Baltic and Black Seas into its military outposts.

For several post-war decades the North European region remained relatively stable and secure. The security order was based on cooperation, mutually approved principles, common undertakings and confidence-building measures. Consensus-based international cooperation forums with Russian participation were established on the perimeter of the northern European states’ borders, such as the Arctic Council, the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, providing for extensive cross-border contacts.