FOREIGN POLICY

'It is a tragic mistake

say. If we are lucky, they will

U.S. statesman doubtful

say NATO expansion to

Poland, Hungary and the

about wisdom

Czech Republic simply didn't

matter, because the vacuum it

of NATO expansion

was supposed to fill had

already been filled, only the

Clinton team couldn't see it.

By Thomas L. Friedman

They will say the forces of glo.

• is voice is a bit frail now, but the mind,

balization integrating Europe,

coupled with the new arms

control agreements, proved to

when I reached George Kennan by phone

George Kennan

to get his reaction to the Senate's ratification of

be so powerful that Russia,

Circa 1974

NATO expansion, it was no surprise to find that

despite NATO expansion,

moved ahead with democrati-

the man who was the architect of America's suc-

cessful containment of the Soviet Union and one

zation and Westernization, and was gradually

drawn into a loosely unified Europe. If we are

of the great American statesmen of the 20th cen-

unlucky, they will say, as Kennan predicts, that

tury was ready with an answer.

NATO expansion set up a situation in which

"I think it is the beginning of a new Cold War,"

NATO has to either expand all the way to Rus-

Kennan said from his Princeton home. "I think sia's border, triggering a new Cold War, or stop

the Russians will gradually react quite adversely, expanding after these three new countries and

and it will affect their policies. I think it is a

create a new dividing line through Europe.

tragic mistake. There was no reason for this

But there is one thing future historians will

whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody surely remark upon, and that is the utter poverty

else. This expansion would make the Founding of imagination that characterized U.S. foreign

Fathers of this country turn over in their graves.

policy in the late 1990s. They will note that one of

We have signed up to protect a whole series of the seminal events of this century took place

countries, even though we have neither the

between 1989 and 1992 - the collapse of the Soviet

resources nor the intention to do so in any seri-empire, which had the capability, imperial inten-

ous way. (NATO expansion) was simply a light-tions and ideology to truly threaten the entire

hearted action by a Senate that has no real inter-free world. Thanks to Western resolve and the

est in foreign affairs."

courage of Russian democrats, that Soviet empire

"What bothers me is how superficial and ill

collapsed without a shot, spawning a democratic

informed the whole Senate debate was," added

Russia, setting free the former Soviet republics

Kennan, who was present at the creation of the and leading to unprecedented arms-control agree.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization and whose ments with the United States.

anonymous 1947 article in the journal Foreign

And what was America's response? It was to

Affairs, signed "X," defined America's Cold War expand the NATO Cold War alliance against Rus-

containment policy for 40 years. "I was particu-sia and bring it closer to Russia's borders.

larly bothered by the references to Russia as a

Yes, tell your children, and your children's

country dying to attack Western Europe. Don't children, that you lived in the age of Bill Clinton

people understand? Our differences in the Cold and William Cohen, the age of Madeleine

War were with the Soviet Communist regime.

Albright and Sandy Berger, the age of Trent Lott

And now we are turning our backs on the very and Joe Lieberman, and you, too, were present at

people who mounted the greatest bloodless revo-the creation of the post-Cold War order, when

lution in history to remove that Soviet regime." these foreign-policy Titans put their heads

"And Russia's democracy is as far advanced, if together and produced . .. a mouse.

not farther, as any of these countries we've just

We are in the age of midgets. The only good

signed up to defend from Russia," said Kennan, news is that we got here in one piece because

who joined the State Department in 1926 and was

there was another age - one of great statesmen

ambassador to Moscow in 1952. "It shows so little

who had both imagination and courage.

understanding of Russian history and Soviet his-

As he said goodbye, Kennan added just one

tory. Of course there is going to be a bad reaction more thing: "This has been my life, and it pains

from Russia, and then (the NATO expanders) will me to see it so screwed up in the end."

say that we always told you that is how the Rus-

sians are - but this is just wrong."

• THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN is a columnist for The New York

One only wonders what future historians will

Times, 229 W. 43rd St., New York, N.Y. 10036.