Description
NATO has through its long history proved to be remarkably agile and resilient in terms of being able to adapt to a changing global context. The Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 24th February 2022, not only signalled the end of the global rules-based order and the beginning of a multi-order world, it also placed the Alliance in a new context with urgent demands for adaptation to a fundamentally altered European security architecture and for strengthening its continued role in sustaining the liberal international order. The questions addressed in this paper is what role NATO will play in sustaining the liberal international order in the new multi-order context. Can it deepen its role as a community of shared values whilst at the same time reinforce its role as a military alliance facing a now indisputable Russian threat? What threats and opportunities does the alliance face with Sweden and Finland set to join the alliance? The paper traces NATO’s historical oscillation between different role identities (as a community of values, a defence alliance and as a first responder to crises) and argues that it is time to fully recognise NATO’s fourth role identity as a defender of the liberal international order.
